*official* September Release Party Contest

To thank you for celebrating our big September Holiday release with us tonight, we are offering up a tremendous prize package! Just for sharing a bit of yourself with us!

"What is your favorite holiday memory?"

Share
your answer with us and you will be eligible to win:

Our September "I Want It All" packagethis includes the entire September release (a $196 value)!!!!!

The contest will close at 11:30pm EST and the winner will be chosen
via the Random Number Generator. (Please play fair, limit one entry per person!) I will announce the lucky winner here
before midnight! Best of luck to everyone!

Author Nichole Heady

Join the discussion 562 Comments

My favorite holiday memory is of lighting real candles on our tree while my husband reads the Christmas story from the book of Luke. It’s so amazing the amount of light that can come from one dozen tiny candles

My favorite holiday memory is of sneaking into my sister’s room at 5 o’clock in the morning and waking her up so we could go and see if Santa came and brought us presents. We would tip toe into the living room and look at the lit tree with all of the presents surrounding it. We would then take our stockings into her room and see what was in them before waking our parents up. It was special time between her and I that I will never forget…

My favorite holiday memory is going to my Grandpa Lonnie’s for Christmas in the morning after we opened our gifts with mom and dad. Then, in the evening, we would go to my Grandpa Brown’s house. I miss my Grandpa Brown so much and I just try to put a picture in my head of standing in front of his Christmas tree that was covered in tinsel and beautiful bulbs while the whole family sat around talking, eating, and opening presents. I’ll never forget those memories.

My favorite holiday memory is crafting with my Gram. Every year we would make velvet ball ornaments with gold beads and then decorate the tree and give others them away as gifts packaged with an assortment of yummy homemade Christmas cookies.

She has passed away but I still do my holiday baking and ornament making every year (although I’ve branched out of just velvet ball ornaments!)

My favorite Christmas memory as a child is sitting at the top of the stairs with my brother waiting to see if Santa had been there, but afraid to wake my parents. But last Christmas was the most special. My grandmother had been really ill and in the hospital, thinking she might go to the nursing home, she got well enough to come home for Christmas. We all had Christmas dinner at her house, sadly she passed away in February. Having been able to share one more Christmas with her was a gift in itself.

Hmm…I’ve had lots of great Christmas moments for sure. The one that is most special to me was my first Christmas with my husband. We decorated our tree and had hot chocolate and just enjoyed being together. Now 15 years later, we still enjoy a Christmas moment alone w/o our kids and have our hot chocolate!!

One of my favorite holiday memories is the Christmas I gave my nephew a stuffed Barney for Xmas. The look on his face was absoulutely one of sheer delight and he quickly held it close and just hugged and hugged.

My favorite memory occurred just a few years ago. Due to an accident I lost my baby doll of childhood. My mother searched until she found an almost identical doll. This 40 something woman cried when she opened the Christmas gift.

My favorite holiday memory is actually something we do every year. My sister and I hand out the presents to our other family members – we call it “playing elf”. Now that my sister’s kids are older they’ve been doing it instead of us…it s a fun tradition.

My favorite holiday memory was when I was a little girl and we had a white Christmas. On my way from my Grandparents to my house I thought I found reindeer tracks. I was so happy and excited, I knew from the tracks that Santa had been to my house. Still not sure what left those tracks in the snow, maybe real reindeer:)

Going to my aunt and uncle’s house with my parents every year for Christmas Eve and Day. Santa always came there. Always. Without fail. One year, my grandmother tried to get me to come spend Chr. Eve night with her at her farm. I flat out refused because Santa ALWAYS came to my aunt’s house. The whole family tried to encourage me to go … but I remained stubborn.
Second memory: a few years older, helping my cousins play Santa while their sons slept.
Third memory: Braxton-Hicks contractions all Christmas Eve night. Thought I might have a Christmas baby, but she chose to be a New Year’s Day baby instead.

I am anxiously awaiting the new release of all of the stamp sets! They all look fabulous!!! My favorite holiday memory is when I was a little girl, my family and would go to a tree farm and cut out own x-mas tree. I can’t wait to hear others…

My favorite holiday memory is watching the kids be all excited for the coming of Santa…..so excited that they can’t go to sleep but they know they must otherwise he may not come for a visit. Then waking up the next moring to all the excitement and spending the rest of the day eating and playing and just hanging out together….wishing they day would last forever.

Just in case…my favorite holiday memory is my dad trying on his new “fishing” gear that he got for Christmas that year…
one of those fun “joke” kind of gifts…a hat with a fish mounted on top of it, boxer shorts with fish on them (he pulled those on right over his pants), and on and on. It was hysterical because my dad was such a serious type…this was totally out of character and so fun. We lost him 16 years ago…memories with him are the best.

I have so many memories, but I will share this one:
My dad took my brother outside to see if we could see Santa flying in the sky. He had us “keep watch” for him for a while. Wouldn’t you know it that when we got in the house…Santa had actually arrived and we missed him! The cookies and milk were gone and the gifts were there.
I like this memory because it tells me that we were important to our Dad when we were little. He wanted us to have happy times!

My favorite holiday memory is getting together with all of the extended family on Christmas Eve–grandparents, aunts, uncles & cousins. All of the kids were so excited waiting for Santa. Everyone brought their homemade goodies to share, and the grownups were just waiting for kids to go to bed so they could finish up their holiday duties!

One of my favorite holiday memories was spending Christmas as a young girl with a friend’s family. I was throughly enjoying watching all of them open their gifts when unexpectedly, there was one more gift and it was for me. Thinking back I still feel the warmth I felt when receiving that special gift.

I would say my favorite holiday memory would be the Christmas the Cabbage Patch Kids first came out. The excitement of going downstairs and seeing all the Cabbage Patch Kids for all of my siblings and I lined up underneath the stockings was really fun! We even had ‘kids’ that closely matched our names. That was really fun! I LOVE Christmas and all the excitement that comes with it. I love to decorate for it, make the cookies, cards, and get the kids excited about the season. My favorite part is the reason for the season! For God to send His Son for us! Just an amazing gift.

Hands down, my favorite holiday memory is spending all day(s) at my Grandma’s house and baking with her! It is something that I will never forget, and the reason that I plan on baking with my girls as much as I can when they are older! Thank you for the chance to win. I haven’t had such a great week, so winning this package would be a MUCH appreciated treat!

To pick just one favorite holiday memory would be very hard, since I have many fond memories of holidays! But the one that stands out the most is our whole family attending Christmas Eve service at our church, then going home and having a great feast of all kinds of festive foods. My own family still holds to that tradition and my kids enjoy it as much as I did when I was younger. Thanks for this blog and all the products you create!!

The Harkness Family Christmas Party. Every year we would get together with all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. We would have a giant potluck dinner. Then we would play games and watch a video featuring activities that we would do through out the year. Then came the nativity play and last of all Santa. They still do it every year, but I have moved far away. I really miss those family parties.

My favorite holiday memory occurred 4 years ago! My brother had just moved back to the States after living in Germany for 17 years. So it was the first time my mom had all of her kids home for the holidays. To make it extra special, it started snowing on Christmas Eve. Now, I know that sounds totally normal for most, but my parents live on the coast of Texas and they got 12″ of snow that night. It was absolutely beautiful. My husband went out in the backyard with our nephews and helped them build their first ever snowman. Everything about that day was very special! Definitely a Christmas we will never forget.

beleive it or not- I was “stranded over cherstmas at my Grand parents due to crazy weather- my grandfather went out on a snowmobile to find a present for me to open on christmas day- all my presents were home at my parents house… so sweet of him!!

My favourite Christmas memory happened when I was 16. My aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents all travelled several miles so we could spend Christmas together. Before we went to bed on Christmas Eve, we hung all 19 stockings down the staircase in order from oldest to youngest. All the cousins slept on the floor in sleeping bags (away from the tree)…although we didn’t do much sleeping. It was a great Christmas.

The fondest holiday memory I have is when our kids were small & we’d all get up early to see what Santa brought them. They’re so precious & innocent & they grow up way too fast, but those beautiful memories will last a lifetime in my heart! I also will always treasure midnight services @ our church when I was young because it made me feel so close to Baby Jesus on his birthday every year.
Happy Holidays, Nichole & Everyone @ Paper Trey!

I remember when I was little, how much my mom loved making our tree so beautiful. She would let us help and then when we went to bed, I think she went back and made things a little prettier. 🙂 When I was old enough to have permission to do so, I would even sleep in front of the tree with the lights on all night long. I LOVE the smells, shimmer, and love that go into decorating a beautiful Christmas tree. It makes me miss my mom.

i think my favorite holiday memory is getting up at about 2 or 3 in the morning to open presents. even as my brother and i got older (and liked to sleep in more!!) we would set our alarms on christmas eve. and now, bless my husbands heart, he sets the alarm and we continue to get up way early. although, we have a four year old and one on the way, so setting the alarm probably won’t be necessary this year!!!

My grandma had a Santa come in one Christmas Eve and she had not told anyone about it. Of course the kids were all thrilled but the look on all of the adult’s faces was priceless. To this day my grandma still has not told anyone who our Santa was.

I have so many favorite holiday memories that it is hard to choose just one….

The year before last though, was my first Christmas as a Grandma! I will never forget having my daughter, her husband and my new grandson, Tyler, coming over Christmas morning to join our family to open gifts and celebrate the day! I just couldn’t seem to get enough of my precious grandson and watching every moment I could of his first Christmas. Looking at my family and knowing just how blessed I was, right at that moment, and thinking it just couldn’t be any better.

My favorite memory is of my late mom decorating our tree when I was growing up. She was always a perfectionist and it was beautiful. We had white doves on it and ice blue lights and ornaments. My dog at the time took one of the doves and laid it at her feet like he had hunted it!! We laughed and laughed.
Lori

Oh gosh, my favorite holiday memory…..I guess it would have to be that every Christmas Eve when we were small, we would get to open 1 gift. What a treat for us. And another memory was finding my parents hiding place. It was under lock and key in our old coal cellar redone to be our fruit cellar as my Mom would call it. Even though it took the thrill out of believing in Santa Claus I do believe he is still around in all of us.

One of my favorite xmas moments would have to be getting together with all of my cousins on my Mother’s side and opening presents. There are 11 of us and when we were all opening at the same time it was crazy, but lots of fun.

My fave holiday memory is playing Secret Santa with my 4 siblings. It gets more and more ridiculously funnier every year. The madness of Christmas morning, I mostly remember all the wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, and boxes my dad has to clean up in one big black garbage bag, lol! Like the opposite of Santa Claus!

I have so many great christmas memories that it is hard to choose just one. I remember the year my youngest was in first grade and we made graham cracker gingerbread houses for each child in his classroom.we hid a foil coverered santa in each house he was the hero of the month he came home so excited that everyone was talking about his treat. By the way he is now 25 and we still talk about decorating them houses every year.

Hi!
My favorite Christmas memories are when my dad was alive. After a big family Christmas dinner, we’d all go downstairs at my Grandparents’ house and have a family sing-song. My dad would play the piano, and we’d all sing up a storm.
Heather L.

My favorite holiday memory is two: 1. Every Xmas eve when I was little, we would have my mom’s mom over for shrimp and cracked crab. Then my dad’s parents would come over and since I was an only child, I got PRESENTS! I would always help put them out so I could see which ones were mine. I wish they were still here so we could do xmas at my house!
2. The first halloween (going on 12 years this year) of my nephew. He was born on Oct. 7th so for Halloween my bff and her bf dressed him up as a pumpkin. I have some really great pictures of him and the best one is the three of them on the couch, the official first family picture. If it wasn’t for my nephew, I wouldn’t even be here now, but that is a story for another day. I’m so lucky to have such an extended family.
Happy Holidays to everyone!!

My favorite Holiday memory is spending Christmas Eve with my family. When we were younger we would go to my Nana’s to get together with extended family. When I was really young santa used to visit and years later I found out santa was my dad (this was when I was real young of course). My dad played santa for many years for many families. He loved spreading Christmas cheer. We often would go to the candlelight service at midnight. When we were older we started going to Christmas Eve service at 6 then we would always go through the Burger King drive through for dinner before heading to Nana’s. When my nana passed away we continued going to Church then would come home for yummy appetizers that my mom would cook up. We always drank egg nog and watched the Rudolph tracker on tv. We also had a house near my own house that would run a red light up their flag pole on Christmas Eve that always looked like Rudolph. I love the Christmas season.

My favorite holiday memory is the year that we were all at my grandmother’s house. We had eaten our Christmas eve meal together and all of the presents had been passed around and opened. Everyone was admiring their new toys/clothes/socks, etc. My grandmother called me over to her chair and whispered “don’t tell anybody else”, then she handed me a small package all wrapped up with no name on it. She said it was just for me. It was a watch – my very first! And I kept it for years and years, even when it wouldn’t run!

My fav memory as a child was sleeping with my younger sister while waiting for santa. we did this every year. we would laugh and wait, sleeping very lightly. one year she thought she’d get all fancy…and she put on like a whole bottle of Loves Baby Soft…omg…she overpowered the room. we still laugh about that!

Oh..I have so many wonderful Christmas memories..but I have to say now that I am a mommy I have been so blessed watching my children experience Christmas and to see the magic in their eyes..it is so fun to get to “create” their memories that I hope they will always cherish when they are older!! I just love Christmas!!

All the cousins were there. There are 9 boys and 4 girls, 3 of the girls are sister. Of course we sat at the kids table. My Grandfather led the service and after we found the Afikoman, we played. It was the first year we had a built-in pool and I was the first initiated into it. The boys got in trouble but it was still a good time. We talk about it still, some 20+ years later. It does seem I fell in a few water holes at the hands of my cousins though.

Every year my parents read us “The Saintmaker’s Christmas Eve” by Paul Hogan. It is the most amazing story of faith and miracles, set in the American Southwest. It is out of print, but my mom and dad managed to find copies for all of my brothers and me, so we can read it to our own families during the Christmas season.

Wow, just one?!? As a child my favorite is the year I got a Cabbage Patch baby. I remember getting up in the middle of the night to discover him. I took him back to bed with me until morning. I just love Christmas and all of our family traditions, but mostly the meaning of it, Jesus. Now I am even more excited for the season to get here!

My favourite Holiday memory is of this one Christmas a few years back when it actually snowed the day and when we woke up in the monring all enthusiastic to open our presents, the view from window was amazing. All White and sparkling, I will never forget that. A true White Christmas. 🙂

My favorite memory is that on Christmas Eve we always ate appetizers for dinner, instead of a big dinner. I am not sure why that put such of an impression on me. I think it was because it was out of the norm. It actually is now a tradition!

my favorite holiday memory is going to my great aunts house every christmas eve with all the relatives on my dads side of the family. we would have a wonderful feast with prayer and singing in a festive austrian tradition.no meat- only seafood and lots of yummy desserts!!!!

My favorite was the year I got a fish tank. I heard a sound in the wee hours, and got out of bed to check. The living room was aglow with the lights from the tree, and my bubblegum dispenser shaped fish tank. AWESOME.

My favorite Christmas memory is being too excited to sleep on Christmas morning and counting down the minutes until 6:00 am when we were allowed to wake mom and dad to open presents. Of course, then we had to wait until the coffee was ready! The anticipation and excitement was half the fun of the day!

This question had me strolling down memory lane to the childhood Christmas mornings… the magic and wonder of it all. Some of my favorite memories are of my mother’s old decorations and her supervising the tree decorating ~ every branch with an ornament and only ONE piece of tinsel was hung at a time! I remember fondly my Dad reciting The Night Before Christmas. And these days it’s all about my little girl. She’s 7 now, but one of my favorite memories from when she was younger was her love of Nativity scenes… she wanted to play with every single one she saw! Thanks for the trip down memory lane… and a little bit of Christmas in September 🙂

The best holiday memories for me are going up to my Grandmother’s house in Chesterfield for Christmas and having a competition with my Brother in the car as to who could see the twisted spire of the church first as then we were “nearly there” and home for the holiday.

Christmas, Christmas, Christmas! I just love Christmas…mine kind of has a story behind it…my sister collects panda bears…so one year I made her a ceramic panda bear bank (we were both adults already)…it was so loved…and as she rounded a corner in her house, the beloved panda bear fell and broke into many pieces…she ran to her bed and cried and cried and cried. Ironically, I happened to call her during that crying period and she immediately asked, “Dick called you, didn’t he?” Anyway, he hadn’t called, I found out about her bank…so I set out to make her a new one. I called the ceramic place and started going again just so I could make that panda bear again…and for Christmas, I gave her a big box…she started opening it and caught a glimpse of what it was and immediately closed it and started crying. It was so sweet…and I tear up just remembering it.

One of my favorite memories was from way back when I was about 4 years old and first realized the “magic” that holidays bring. It was Halloween, and I was dressed up as a witch. My Dad took my brother and I trick-or-treating to the neighbors. I remember the chill in the air, the excitement of being out of the house in the dark, and it being foggy. You never knew who, or what, would come out of the fog next! I look forward to each holiday and the joy that comes from making it exciting, and magical, for my children!

One of my many favorite holiday memories is from one Christmas when I was very young. I recieved a doll, a doll bed, and matching nightgowns for myself and my new doll from Santa, I thought I must have been very good that year! I still have that doll bed!

My favorite holiday memory is when our children were small, and so excited about getting up early on Christmas morning to open their gifts. Now we have all of our children and their families come over every Christmas morning for brunch.

My favorite Christmas memory is the hunt for the Christmas spider ornament on the tree. There is an older photo of me looking for it with a the best expression on my face (words can’t describe that Kodak moment).

Great products this release, I have enjoyed all of the projects so far. Good luck to everyone what an awesome prize 🙂

Helping my grandmother to set up her silver aluminum christmas tree – with its own light and music show! My family has since inherited this and my son (just like me) loves helping put the tree together. Even though it now sits in our house during the holidays, seeing it up instantly transports me back to my grandma’s warm and cozy family room where the tree used to sit every year.

My favorite Christmas memory is our tradition on Christmas Eve. We go to Church, then drive around the neighborhoods to see all of the beautiful Christmas decorations, then have a delicious family steak dinner. After dinner my sister and I always have one present to open which is usually pajamas.
We now have a daughter of our own and look forward to many fun family memories!

My favorite holiday memory is when I was little, I would always get to open one present with my parents on Christmas Eve. It was always so much fun getting to open one early! One year I got a globe and we had so much fun spinning it and seeing what country my finger would land on. Christmas was my dad’s favorite holiday, so he always made it really special.

My favorite holiday memory is from last Christmas. I loved watching my son, who was then almost three, view the holiday for the “first” time (since before he was too young to understand). He loved everything about it, the lights, the cookies, the songs, the gifts. He especially loved opening his gifts and his baby sister’s!
Melissa

I absolutely adore Christmas morning, the wonder in my little boys eyes as they come downstairs to see what treats are awaiting them. Then once they’ve opened under the tree, they always seem to have forgotten about the stockings!! It makes me laugh to see them get all excited again about little things like new toothbrushes and ski socks. Thanks for a chance to win!

My favorite holiday memory is a recent one. Last Christmas was the first Christmas that my daughter, now 3, really understood. My husband was out to sea, but we manages to enjoy Christmas anyway. It was so amazing to see my daughter’ eyes as she saw all her gifts from Santa. It felt great to see her so happy and excited.

My fondest memories of Christmas were with my grandparents, and the anticipation of going up there and seeing all my family and cousins. I enjoy now my christmas and seeing it through my childrens eyes again.

I was quite a tomboy as a young girl, so one of my favorite Christmas’s was running downstairs to find a shiny new red bicycle (a boy’s bike at that) under the tree when I was around 8 years old. Back then, we only got one “big” present and that was one of my all time favorites.

my favorite holiday memories are of Christmas Eve. every year, we would go to my grandparents’ house and around 8 pm, santa clause would ride down their street in a fire truck (lights flashing and sirens sounding!). one at a time, each of my cousins climb up onto the truck to sit on santa’s lap to receive a gift. i think we looked forward to the truck and santa more than the gift…the experience was so exciting for us as children! although we are all grown up, we still gather at our grandparents’ home to watch santa and the fire truck visit our street, even though we no longer climb up and receive goodies. thanks for the opportunity to win!

My favorite holiday memory was when my girlfriend at the time, (now wife) drove up to my parents’ house to surprise me over Christmas break from college. We got snowed in from a few feet of snow. We played outside for like five minutes because she got so cold. I guess the idea was better than the reality.

I loved Christmas Eve when my older sister would sleep in my room. We would lie in bed forever giggling with excitement. We would wake sometime around 4:30am and wait with anticipation till 5am when we had “clearance” to wake our mom.

My favorite holiday memory is of christmas with my large extended family. My Grandma would make plum pudding with hard sauce and then put money in the pudding. It is funny though because my grandpa would always find a $5 bill in his pudding!

My favorite holiday memory was as a child living in Madison, Wisconsin. We received so much snow that we were able to build a snowman that was actually taller than my Dad. It had a frisbee for a hat, which was tossed on top, a carrot nose and of course a scarf to keep him warm. I haven’t seen a snow like that since then or a snowman that was as grand! Especially now that I live in Tennessee.

There are so many memories of such great Christmas’ it so hard to choose just one. I think maybe the one that sticks in my mind now is the last one we had all of our kids together in one place together. Since we have kids in other parts of the country it is always a time to remember them all together and happy.

My brother and I were very young; we woke up Christmas morning, thinking it was almost time for my Mom to be home from work, got dressed, made our beds, and quietly crept down our squeeky stairs, only to be yelled at from Dad that it was only 2:00 in the mornning! Seemed so much later!

One of my favorite holiday memories is the year my parents had the watch they gave me for Christmas canned. Someplace offered to actually seal gifts in cans, so mom and dad had that done with my watch. I had to open it with a can opener to get to my present (no pull tabs in those days). I was stumped wondering what was in that can!!!

The best thing about holidays is that the family gathers together and celebrates (no worries, no cares just great family fun).
The first thing that came to mind was my oldest sons first holiday (Thanksgiving). He was barely a week old and my parents, my sister, and niece came to visit and celebrate not only the birth of my son but also a great holiday. Being able to host a holiday in “my” home with my husband, new son and the family I grew up with. It was just amazing. Nothing is great until we have family with us.

My favorite holiday memory would have to be the Christmas that my youngest brother got his bee-bee gun… he was about 12 y/o. I had come home for Christmas, so we were all together after a long time apart. I remember Andy being so excited about his bee-bee gun, and him suddenly bursting out and saying, “Here we are, happy, together, loving each other!” It still brings tears to my eyes when I think about it.

This is a tough one. There are so many great memories. I think the memory(ies) that sick out the most are those spent at my Grandparents house when I was younger. They lived in a smaller house and there living room would be filled with presents from “Santa” for me, my brother and my 5 cousins. There would barely be any room to walk through the room.

My favorite holiday menory has to be getting new pyjamas each christmas. Every christmas we would get new pyjamas and my mom would let us wear them to bed on christmas eve. It didn’t seem like christmas if we didn’t have new pyjamas for Santa. Even now my son gets new pyjamas every christmas.

My family has followed the same traditions from the time my father was a young boy. We all get together on Christmas eve for ham dinner and chocolate eclairs and Christmas Day for turkey dinner. Its crazy and fun. There are over 50 of us now and cramming us all into the houses is chaos. None of us would miss it for the world!

My favorite holiday memory is when my whole family was over on Christmas Eve and very last minute, my brother threw on our Santa costume and grabbed a small toy from under our tree for each of my kids. He came to the front door and pretended to be Santa for them. He was the worst Santa you ever could have seen. He was skinny and his HoHoHo was not a deep belly laugh, but my kids never knew the difference and they talked about it for years.
Lora

My favorite holiday memory was when my grandpa got me a new video of The Wizard of Oz (I was 11 or 12)… he’d always given me a card with money before, and it meant so much to me that year that he noticed my favorite movie was completely worn out.

One of my favorite Christmas memories is when my brother and I were little. He was about 3 years old and we were spending Christmas with my grandmother in Germany and she had the living room where the tree was closed off and I remember my brother standing on tiptoe looking through the keyhole to see the tree on the other side that was all lit up with real candles. Thanks for the chance to win!

So many good memories. One of them is the Christmas when I was in grade 5 or 6.
I hung out at the local mall and watched people buy raffle tickets on a turkey. I gathered enough change to buy one and won!! I won the Christmas day turkey. I felt so proud.
But the best surprise was what my mother won. She bought tickets on the World’s Largest Stocking,. It was taller than me. And it had soooo many craft activities in it. I remember trying to keep all the good stuff from all the younger cousins that were visiting. lol

We always went to church on Christmas Eve and one year when I was little we were leaving to go visit family bright and early Christmas morning. So, Santa needed to come early! My dad put my brother and me in the car for church while my mom put all the gifts under the tree. Of course we had no idea that’s what she was doing. While at church, what I now know was a plane with a blinking red light could be seen through the window, but I remember my dad saying it was Rudolph’s nose. When we got home, all the presents were waiting as if Santa had come and it really was Rudolph! Ahhh…to be young and innocent again!

Each year when my kids were young we would decide on a gift to make for teachers and friends. Each child had they’re own special recipe and we would spend one on one time together making and packaging it. My youngest and I still do this and she’s 21 now. What wonderful memories.

One of my most favorite holiday memories is making homemade fudge with my Nana. Neither of us was very strong, but together we could lift that heavy pot of melted chocolate goodness. Nana’s been gone for a few years now, but I always feel her with me when I continue the tradition of making the fudge for gifts.

My favorite holiday memory is the Christmas of 1995. I was in the middle of chemo treatments. My daughter gave me a charm bracelet with a pair of baby booties on it. It was her way of telling me there was a new grand baby on the way. What an incentive to continue the fight!

I should say that my favorite holiday memories are the year my daughter was born…but in truth my favorite memories are from when she was 4 or 5 years old and REALLY understood what Christmas was all about and really believed. It made me believe all over again…

My favorite memory is from my childhood. I loved going into our living room at night by myself with the Christmas tree lite. I would either sit under the tree…I remember the colored lights…seemed so magical… or turn up the old tape player and belt out Christmas carols. Sometimes, I was a holiday rock star:)I still have that Children’s Carol tape!

My favorite Christmas memory is really a tradition which started when I was a little girl. Each year my sisters and I would make or get a special ornament for the Christmas tree. And each Christmas, all of the family would get together to decorate the tree and remember the stories behind each special ornament as it was hung upon the tree. I continued that tradition with both of my 2 girls and they treasure decorating the tree & telling the stories behind each of their special ornaments. It makes the Christmas tree even more special. I can still see them (they’re 23 & 21 now) telling their friends the stories of some of their ornaments. 🙂

My favorite holiday memory is my husband’s proposal to me! It was 5 days after New Year’s Day and televised on TLC’s Perfect Proposal!!! I was embarrassed, but overjoyed at the same time! The best holiday ever!

My favorite holiday memories are the times spent with family. I love remembering all the time I spent playing new games with my sister and brothers, cooking and baking with my mom and singing Christmas carols in the living room. I still enjoy all of those things. I cherish all the traditions and memories that I have to pass on to the little ones in our family. Christmas is such a special time for me!

My favorite holiday memory is the year my husband was deployed during 9-11, we were told that the boys (he was on a sub) might not be home in time for Christmas. The kids and I were obviously upset. A couple of days before Xmas we got word they were on there way home. It was freezing and snowing, I have never been so cold in my life, my tears were giving me frost bite waiting on the pier. >”

My favorite holiday memory is kind of a small thing. We had the multi-colored Christmas tree lights when I was little – they also blinked on and off. I thought that was so…magical…and the most beautiful thing. My parents’ bedroom was just off of the living room where the Christmas tree was. My favorite thing was to “start out” at night in my parent’s bed. Even with the door to their bedroom only partially open, the Christmas tree lights would be glowing softly on the ceiling and blinking on and off. It was mesmerizing to me. What can I say, I was easily impressed! Anyway, that’s what I remember most even among all of the other wonderful, special, holy memories of Christmases past.

My favorite holiday memory is making dozens and dozens of homemade cookies to share with our friends and neighbors. My mom, my sister and I would make the cookies – chocolate chip, peanut butter, shortbread, even chocolate covered pretzels – then my dad, my sister, and I would deliver them. The baking with mom and the delivering to friends is a very special memory for me.

My favorite memory was when my daughter was 3 years old and Santa had left his foot prints in our house. She was so mad at him because he had left a mess in our house. The foot prints were made out of baby powder.

My favorite Christmas memory is waking up (I can’t even remember how old I was) but I had the Barbie Dreamhouse waiting for me under the tree! I knew right then and there, there was a Santa, because my dad was too cheap (hmm..I mean frugal) to pay $100 for a Barbie House and that was probably at least 20 years ago…LOL! Best Christmas present ever! 🙂 Love this months peaks! Lisa K in TX

When I was a kid, I wanted a certain doll desperately. My mother always had a ton of gifts for us to open and to my dismay the last gift I opened did not contain the doll I wanted. I remember trying really hard not to look disappointed and act like it was no big deal, but it really was. My mother “happened to notice” another gift for me behind the couch and I opened it to find the doll I wanted. I’ll never forget that Christmas.

My favorite holiday memories are from back when my grandparents were still alive. Our whole family was much closer then and we all would get together for every holiday and have great food, fun, and conversation. I was young then and my cousins and I used to play in the front room while the women were busy bees in the kitchen and the men hung out in the dining room. Everyone made the effort to make sure they were there for those special days together. I will always remember how my grandfather would go out to our family farm and hunt for our Thanksgiving turkey.

I love the holidays and have great memories as I was growing up and since then as well. I have a 4 year old son and the holidays are so much more amazing now!!! My favorite memories are of his face lighting up when we decorate cookies together, when he finds yet another chocolate in the Advent box, when he hangs his favorite ornaments on the tree, etc… I look forward to even more memories which each year to come!

When I was little, my family’s tradition was to go drive around on Christmas Eve to look at Christmas lights, and when we got home, Santa would always have come to our house. We would open our presents and then go to a midnight Christmas service at our church. I still love Christmas lights, and in the neighborhood I live in now, the entire neighborhood of 800 homes sets out luminaries on Christmas Eve, and thousands of people come drive through to see the magical sight. We always have a large family gathering at our house on Christmas Eve.

I have so many favorite holiday memories, that it is hard to pick one. Making cut-out cookies was always very memorable to me as a child. I make sure to carry on that tradition with my kids every year. It’s messy, but it sure is fun…and yummy.

My favorite Christmas memory is of Christmas morning breakfast at my Grandma’s house. Until I was about 8 years of age she lived next door to us. She was the most amazing cook, I remember many days spent next to her at the kitchen stove preparing meals and wonderful “Swedish” desserts. Our Christmas morning tradition was after seeing what Santa had brought for us we would all put on our new pj’s and head for grandma’s where we would meeet up with all of the other “cousins” for sweedish pancakes. Her pancakes were so thin and they would just melt in your mouth. In the years since I have tried to perfect her recipe, but never quite get it–but I am hopefully making some great memories with my daughter while trying.

My favorite holiday memory centers around family… surrounded by our 4 daughters, sons-in-law and 2 grandchildren (so far)! I love all the memories associated with Christmas and all the traditions we share–especially Santa’s bag on Christmas eve.

My Favorite would be Watching my kids on Christmas morning waking up and seeing the 4 wheelers we had bought them, after telling them time after time that we didn’t have the money for them. They were so excited, they forgot about their other presents, but not for long. I love seeing how happy and excited that they got. It was the best gift of all !!!

Well, i am torn. I have always loved the holidays. Up to this point, I would say the years that my granny spent with us before she passed away. She was so kind and giving a true representation of the spirit of the holidys. But, now, I am awaiting the birth of my new niece and nephew, pretty much any minute now. I believe as they and their older brother, all of 22 months, grow older, my fondest memories are yet to come.

My favorite memory was my little sister and I falling asleep in our sleeping bags next to the tree with all our newly opened Christmas gifts on Christmas night. The tree lights were on with my moms old “bubble” lights going. It felt magical!

Hmm, I don’t know what my favorite holiday memory is, but I absolutely loved decorating gingerbread houses with my grandmother. We used licorice rolls for water hoses on the side of the house and bought little gummy frogs for blue sugar ponds in the yard. And then we ate them! 🙂

I also love decorating the sukkah in the backyard with my brothers. I guess I just love decorating!

I have so many favorite holiday memories. For my family, the holidays meant gathering at Grandma and Grandpa’s farm to celebrate together. There were only 2 bathrooms and often 20 of us in the farmhouse. We made homemade lefse and potato soup, delicious breads and rolls. The celebration revolved around recipes that were handed down from generation to generation. On top of that, there were many holiday traditions such as sleigh rides, ornament making and opening presents from youngest to oldest. Each person took their turn as the others watched and admired. The opening of presents, on Christmas eve, took hours! It was the best time and I’ll never forget all of the memories that were made at that old farmhouse.

Thanks for the chance to win this awesome release! It’s simply beautiful!

I have many fond memories of Christmas – making cookies, wrapping presents while my mom and I listened to the Carpetner’s Christmas (still my fav!), decorating the tree as we took each and every Hallmark ornament out of it’s special box. But I think the one that stands out for me as when I got my first ten-speed bike. It was used and it was this rusty orange color, not the reatest looking bike but it was all mine!

My favorite holiday memory is from last Christmas. My husband and I had decided that we were not going to wrap the presents for our 4 year old with Autism since he doesn’t understand that there are fun things wrapped up inside the paper. We thought he might enjoy Christmas more if we just left his gifts ready for him to enjoy under the tree. At the last minute I changed my mind and wrapped them all. I was so happy I did. To our surprise, he came downstairs Christmas morning and unwrapped his gifts just like everyone else. He was so thrilled to see what was hiding under the paper. That was truly the best Christmas gift I have ever received.

My favorite holiday memory is the year that both my Grandmothers was able to spend the holiday with us. They usually aren’t able to visit that late in the year and at the same time, so it was especially fun. They each made such amazing food and there is nothing more comforting than treats that your Grandmothers make you. It reminds you of childhood and pure moments in life. I’m very excited to view the new sets!

One of my favorites is when I was 6. I have 2 older sisters and all three of us got new flannel gowns with matching hats. My brothers (3 of them…yeah like the Brady bunch) got a new train set and we all stayed up really late playing with the train set. My Mom made hot chocolate and we had a great time! That was more than 40 years ago, but I remember it vividly!

My fav. memory is my brother and I being way too excited to sleep christmas eve. We used to sneek into each others bedroom and tell stories and giggle until we fell asleep. Then we would wake up xtra early and sneek out to the tree to see what Santa brought us.

My favourite Christmas memory is of our families getting together at Christmas and spending the day reminiscing about what we have done in the past year. We only get together at Christmas – so it seems that there is a lot of chattering going on. AND that everyone brings their best Christmas dishes and we gorge ourselves on the awesome foods.

My favorite memory is going to my grandmothers to decorate sugar cookies. She would always have trays stacked super high with 5-6 colors of frosting, sprinkles and other goodies to decorate with. I can remember doing this at a very young age. My grandmother gave me her Kitchen Aide and her mothers decorators (think wilton but metal tubes with different tips). I continued this tradition after I left home for college. When we got married, gosh almost 12 yrs ago, it still continued. I hope my kids keep it going after they have grown and have families of their own.

Without a doubt, Christmas 2004 was the most memorable holiday ever. All three of the boys were with us getting ready to go to my grandmother’s for our annual Christmas Eve family gathering. It started to snow, not much, but enough to keep us from getting on the road that evening. When we woke up Christmas morning, everything was covered in a foot of snow. It almost never, ever snows in South Texas, so the fact that it snowed that much and on Christmas Eve was something none of us will ever forget.

We would get up and sit on the very top step and wait for my mom to wake up. Of course she would have to go down first to get the movie camera before we could go down. We had so much excitement sitting there waiting to see what Santa had brought. Thanks for a chance to win a wonderful Holiday collection. 🙂

My most memorable holiday season was not long ago. My little brother had just gone through a divorce which was so hard on him. I was away in Florida and he was in Ohio. We both managed to make it home to spend a memorable Christmas together. We were all so happy that we could spend some family time together, especially after such a difficult time for him. That is my most memorable holiday season.

My Mama and I always decorate the house together. She hasn’t been allowed on the ladder in years and years (she’s super clumsy!!), so she deals more with the stuff in the front yard, but it’s still amazing everytime and gives me something to look forward to the day after Thanksgiving. I can’t wait to have children of my own to share it with.

My favorite holiday memory is putting the Christmas tree up. The one we put up (fake!) had color-coded branches, and my three sisters and I spent eons sorting them and figuring out which one went where and handing them to our dad. Then on Christmas morning, we had to wait until the musical Christmas tree stand played its song before we could come down, so we would creep down on our bellies trying to see the presents!

My favorite holiday memory is probably a little atypical. Since we didn’t have any extended family in the area (my parents immigrated here for grad school), we used to take a lot of family trips during the Christmas holidays. My dad loved just driving us to new and exciting places. So my favorite memories are just spending time in the car with my parents as they tried to amuse us with silly songs and stories. I know… not really getting everyone in the spirit… I do like making Christmas cookies with TSO playing in the background now to get into the spirit and sharing that memory with friends

My favorite holiday memory has to be our big family Christmas party we used to have at my grandparent’s house. They had 8 kids + spouses and 15 grandchildren so we were packed like sardines in their house. Grandpa would always get us to calm down and we all sat around the fireplace while he would read the Christmas story to us from his Bible.

I think one of my favorite memories is my mom stretching Christmas out over an entire week – we didn’t have a lot of money so my mom hide a small present everyday and would give me clues on how to find it. It made it so special and exciting for a little girl. ; )

my favorite holiday memory is of the years when my grandparents were still living, and my whole extended family used to get together for Christmas Eve. It was about 65 people, and Santa would make an appearance and give out the presents. It was always so nice to get together with everyone.

I think a memorable one for me is the Stocking goodies. We always got a stocking from our church when we were kids on Christmas eve with fruit and nuts and for some reason that was the best tasting stuff. If you got it any other time it would be yuk. For some reason that sticks in my mind.

One of my favorite holiday memories is the year it snowed – my senior year of high school. (Yes, I live in North Carolina, so I can refer to THE year.) Our family was planning to visit my grandparents for the holidays, and my mother had been in charge of bringing desserts for both the Christmas Eve dinner at one grandmother’s house and the Christmas day dinner at my other grandmother’s house. Since we were planning to be out of town for more than a week, Mama had not done her regular grocery shopping trip that week and had consciously tried to use up the food we had in the house. Imagine how surprised we were when we got almost a foot of snow and had to stay home for Christmas! I think we had fried Treet meat (similar to SPAM) sandwiches for Christmas dinner. On the up side, we had lots of dessert for the days we were snowed in!

My favorite holiday memory was a few years ago when my DD and DS were acting out the Christmas story from Luke with their stuffed animals when they thought noone was watching them. It was so precious to hear them in their 3 and 4 year old voices telling the story in their simple way.

The year my parents retired to their “place in the country”, I chose to do a 12 Days of Christmas suprise for them that year … it is still one of my favorite memories .. they were so suprised to see what was coming next …. my favorites was 10 Lords a Leaping … I bought 10 bull frogs from Michigan .. had them shipped to Arkansas and had to feed them live crickets for a few weeks (gross!) … I made a scroll and introduced the “Lord Family” … Mom opened up the box lid and the frogs hopped all over the room! What a hoot!

Oh wow! There are so many! My absolute favorite would have to be when we were stationed in Germany. We would have all the single soldiers over for Christmas, and we would surprise them on Christmas morning with stockings. They would stay up late with us building the kids’ presents from Santa. They loved being part of all the excitement!

I grew up in a small town in Germany and my favorite holiday memory is decorating the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve afternoon and then walking to the Church service. It would be dark by then and I remember how quiet it was, snowflakes falling softly from the sky and the only sound I remember is the Church bells ringing while we were walking down the street.
I am so excited about this release- I am a snowman collector, so that set is a definite must-have!!
Anette

We always gathered at my grandmother house for the holidays. I live in another state now and due to the job I have we can’t get home for the holidays. I miss those gatherings. It makes me sad my daughter hasn’t experienced that.

My favorite memory is going to my grandparents houses every Christmas Eve. We would trundle into one Gramma’s house first and open presents, and then pack it all up and go to the other Gramma’s house and open more presents. It was always a magical snowy time of year.

My favorite holiday memory is all of us taking part in cooking Christmas dinner. Everyone has to make something and help out. Some years we have had some mishaps, but it is always great fun. Also, my mom was born on Christmas day, so this way she does not to spend her whole birthday cooking in the kitchen.

My favorite holiday memory would have to be baking with my mom. It is so much fun and we make ALOT of stuff. I am hoping that this year I can get my grandma, grandpa, uncle, aunt and cousins all over this year to share in the fun!!!! Thanks for a chance to win, I LOVE everything about this release, so cool!!!

Besides all the fun time spent with family and focusing on the true meaning of Christmas, I absolutely love to wrap presents. My mom would always put names on the boxes so we couldn’t see what was inside and me and my sisters would wrap our own presents. To this day I always look forward to wrapping gifts.

Oh, there are so many favorite memories around the holidays…baking cookies with family, the beautiful music and candlelight services on Christmas eve, but the Christmas morning that the cutest puppy ever bounded into our living room with a bow around her neck was one I will never forget!!!

I have fond memories of creeping down the stairs and getting my first glimpse of the presents that Santa left behind. I can remember the excitement that my sister, brother, and I felt on those Christmas mornings of my childhood. I also loved our Christmas turkey dinner and miss it very much now that my parents are gone. I cherish those memories.

My favorite holiday memory is years ago when my husband and I were on a sailboat trip with his parents it was Thanksgiving and there were just the four of us in this lonely cove in Mexico. Some friends arrived unexpectly in their sailboat. They had been through a horrific storm. We were able to share our Thanksgiving dinner with hem and catch up on old times!

My favorite holiday memory is not from one specific Christmas but from many – each year we traveled from our home (several homes as we lived all over Wisconsin) to my grandfather’s home for Christmas. Grandpa had to work 3-11pm shift every Christmas Eve. I loved getting to stay up late and wait for him to get home to open our presents. Then we went to bed and Santa came during the nights with more gifts left under the tree (they were unwrapped). This is one of my most vivid memories from my childhood.

The first memory that comes to mind was being a kid just at “that age” when I thought maybe there might not be a Santa Claus. It was Christmas Eve, about 4:00 a.m. and I knew, just KNEW I heard Santa on the rooftop! I woke up, hopped into bed with my older brother and just laid there anxiously waiting for daylight! He’s eight years older than me, so he wasn’t too happy about being woken up by his giddy little sister! LOL.

One of my favorite holiday memories was a year that my dad has lost his job and my parents didn’t think they could’ve affreded Christmas and one thing I wanted the most was a bike. Low and behold, I woke up on Christmas morning and there was a new 26″ bike. To this day, I have no idea how my parents was able to afford this bike. Also knowing they didn’t have the money made me appreciate the bike even more.

My holiday memory was when I was about 8 or 9 years old. It was a big year for Barbie. About 1972.I Received just about everything that was made that year. I got the Barbie Airplane, Garden, Camper, Boat and Trailer, ATV, Bicycle, Dune Buggy,RV and Pool. I hit the mother load. Not to mention all the clothes and the New Malibu Barbie!!! I still get excited when I think of it. After I had my second and last boy I decided to sell the collection on Ebay. Yes I had keep everything in its orginal boxes! I had a lady comeout from California and was soooo impressed on the shape of all my items. I ended up doing very well with the sale. I still have 2 of my favorite outfits all packed away. Wild n Wintery and Great Coat!
Thanks so much Nicole your the best!
Cynthia

My favorite holiday memory is making a gingerbread house with my three children. Everytime I would “look away” my youngest child would stuff his mouth full of candy! The kids ate more candy then they put on the house! We laughed and it is a memory I will always have of my three children together!

I may have posted my favorite memory in the wrong place so I’m going to hedge my luck and post here too…

My favorite memory is of Passover years ago when, after a full Passover Sedar had been served, eaten & cleared, I was thrown into our just finished (filled with water that day) swimming pool by my male cousins. Of course they got in trouble but it’s still a memory we all bring up even today.

Lots of great holiday memories, but the one that I think was extra special was the birth of my oldest. His birthday was on the 1st of December and that year, Christmas was just extra special, especially with the extra stress that went along with his birth.

My most favorite holiday memory was when one year my dad hung hundreds of these sparkly ornamental thingys from the ceiling in our living room. It transformed our ordinary living room into something magical in the eyes of a nine year old. I’ll never forget it.

My favorite holiday memory is of sitting around the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. My grandparents would come and bring tons of presents. We would all just sit and chat. Mom would have the Hifi playing in the background with some christmas tunes. The anticipation of the morning was so wonderful. Christmas Eve continues to be my favorite part of the holiday!!

I was not to thrilled on the morning of Christmas eve 2004 when my water broke 5 weeks before my due date. The doctors told me to go about my day, and if my contractions did not start sooner to come into the hospital around 7am on Christmas. I went to my sister’s house christmas eve and exchanged gifts with my family. Around 5 am i went to the hospital. Ended up having to have the pitocin to make the contractions move along. Spent the day listening to christmas carols on the radio. Throw in itching from the epidural, a lot of episodes of vomiting, and end with some pushing, and my Beautiful baby girl arrived at 704 pm. A huge cheer could be heard from the waiting room when the announcement was made to our families. I was exhausted, but within a few hours i was ready to do it all over again. It was worth every minute. And what could be a better Christmas gift. At 5 weeks early she was 8 lbs 4 oz, the nurses thought she was grunting and having breathing problems. But i think she was really just singing those christmas carols she had listened to during her birth. kim

I love the Holidays, and there is always something that makes each one memorable. I have many fond memories as a child, but my most memorable has to be the year I got my very own new sewing machine. I was about 12 years old, and my parents told me years later how they saved and saved just to be able to surprise my with my wish of a real sewing machine. It was a portable Singer that I still own today.

My favorite holiday memory was the first Christmas that our son was aware of what was going on. He was born in Nov so his first Christmas he was only a month old. His second Christmas he was a year old and just ran from toy to toy. It was so rewarding to watch his face light up in excitement. I knew from then on he was going to take after me when it came to loving the Christmas holidays! That baby is now 36 years old!

One of my favorite memories is taking a very unattractive tree and once my mother and us four kids finished with decorating it with lights and beautiful ornaments it was always more beautiful than the year before! For the most part, we had a cedar tree and the smell was always so fresh.

It was the Christmas after having my first baby! (He’s now a 27 year old DAD, unbelievable!) I would rock my precious boy in the middle of the night with only the Christmas tree lights on quietly crying with joy. I was (and still am) so blessed! This year, I will probably be doing the same thing, but I will be holding my first grandbaby! God is good!

My Favorite Memory was actually last year which was teh 1st year we celebrated Chritmas as a whole family of 5!
Once DH and I got the kids fast asleep DH and I went to down to assure teh kids KNEW santa was there! We took a Black Crayon and traced DH’s feet across our lanolium floors(TG for washable!) We took a chair put a lil plate out on it and left some cookie crumbs and a pinch of Milk in a cup. When the kids awoke they started SCREAMING!! They were soo excited Santa was there and when they seen their gifts under the trees they were just Red with Glee Head to toe! That was the BEST and Most memoriable Christmas EVER!!!

Hi Nichole! This is going to be an amazing release. I can’t wait to see all the ‘goodness’ :o) My fav holiday memory is probably the Christmas I got not one but two real gold rings, my first real jewelry. I had had such a hard time deciding between two beautiful rings at the jewelry store but finally made a choice. Christmas morning came and I got both rings. I was so happy I cried and was the best behaved child for a very long time :o)

My favorite holiday memory was baking cookies and making tamales with my family…everybody in a big kitchen and great room helping, lots of noise of grandchildren, guys watching football…pretty much organized ciaos but we were all together…family together, it’s the best part of the holidays!

My favorite holiday memory has to be the year several relatives came to spend the Christmas holidays with us in Washington. (I think I was fourteen at the time.) We had our family of seven, my Aunt Penny’s family of seven, my grandparents, my Uncle Richard’s family of seven, and my Uncle David’s family of four. It was a full house and so much fun! When we acted out the nativity story on Christmas Eve, we had enough people for all the characters and plenty of animals! That was a really great Christmas. 🙂

My favorite holiday memory was probably last year, when my daughter finally understood Christmas – and watching her come down the stairs Christmas morning to see what Santa had brought her. It was also the first Christmas ever where we decided to stay home instead of driving all over the place. And to top it off, we got a light dusting of snow in the afternoon.

My memories are filled with all the traditions… the advent calendars, sorting ornaments and decorating the tree, polar express and hot cocoa, making and finding JUST the right gift for everyone you love and then watching them open it, the anticipation of Christmas morning and the magic that it brings! how do you pick just one? lol:)

One of my most favorite memories was the year that my brothers and I, being teenagers, actually slept in on Christmas morning! My mother was so chagrined and was so anticipating us waking up and opening presents, that she picked up an old cow bell that we had and went running up and down the hall, ringing the bell, and shouting, “Merry Christmas!! It’s Christmas!! Get up!! Get up!!” Just about gave us a heart attack, but we still laugh heartily about it!!

My favorite Christmas memory is my Dad always playing “Come on Ring Those Bells” Christmas morning, signaling to us that it is time to wake up and see what is under the tree. My Dad is gone now but we still play his old cassette tape letting our kids know that it is time.

Sitting in the hallway behind the little gate singing “Lazy Parents Won’t You Wake Up” @ the top of my lungs with my older brother so that we could go and see what Santa brought! My dad used to make us sing quite a few choruses….and only NOW that I’m a parent do I see the joy that HE must have gotten at our expense! 🙂

One of my favorite memories occurred when my daughter was 5. On Christmas Eve we scattered raindeer food (oats and glitter) on our front lawn. That night it snowed and a dog must have walked up to check out the oats. The next morning we looked out of the window and saw the footprints in the snow. My daughter was sure that Rudolph had been there – she was so excited!

MY GOSH! I have SOOOO many! But one of the most special has to be being at my grandmother’s with all of my cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends enjoying the warmth, laughter, and love that only this special holiday can bring. THE most special one was last Christmas – we shared it with our precious baby boy!

My favorite holiday memory would have to be one that happened every year. “Santa” would bring our stockings and put them on the end of our beds and in the morning we got to open them and see what he left us. Of course, I’m sure our parents were just trying to keep us in our rooms as long as possible so they could get a little sleep! I remember how excited I would get when I woke up and it was there.

I’m fortunate that nearly all my holiday memories are good ones, but that makes it hard to pick a favorite. One special one was the year I was scheduled to work Christmas eve until late in the night and would miss the annual Christmas eve family gathering. An understanding boss let me leave early, and I surprised my mom and everyone else by arriving, without warning, just as the festivities were getting underway.

My favorite Christmas memory happened when I was 8 years old. My brother (6 at the time) and I had a package from my mom and day with a stuffed animal dog in it. Once we had opened it, my parents told us this stuffed animal was for us to give our new baby sister that would be born in June. It was such a special moment, and I will never forget it. Especially because my younger brother didn’t understand ‘baby sister’ and some how thought we were getting a puppy. Classic.

This is the Christmas I remember the most. My grandfather had made a doll house for me and a barn for my brother. He had a heart attack and died a couple of days before Christmas but we got the wonderful gifts he had made for us. That was over 50 years ago and I still have the doll house and would never part with it. It’s like the doll house is part of him and I know he loved us to make such wonderful gifts for us.

My favorite holiday memory is every christmas eve: I have five grandchildren and I just love to watch their faces when they walk thru my front door and see all the decorations and, of course, the presents. Each year is cherished. The oldest is twelve, the youngest is four. It brings back all the memories from when my daughters were young.

Every year is a memory for me – it’s another Christmas that I am spending with family & friends & to see the joy on my kid’s faces during the holiday season is a fabulous memory – it really is a magical time of the year.

I don’t have a clear memory, just a sense of time- when the air is crisp, and the catalogs start to come, and I start to see every pine tree along the road as a potential Christmas Tree, lol… decorating is my favorite time of year!

my favorite holiday memory is christmas eve. growing up we would always go to my nana and pops house and the whole family and extended family would be there and “santa” would come and hand out gifts to the children. My mom took over hosting when my pop got ill and has had it ever since. The whole family looks forward to each year because its the one day everyone gets to see each other because no misses it no matter what. I have since moved away but I always come home for christmas and its a special time I get to share this tradition with my kids. Its been going on since my mom was a baby and I hope it continues.

My favorite holiday memory is hearing my kids Christmas morning sure that Santa came because of the smell of a live Christmas tree. It has been my families tradition to put up the tree after the kids are asleep Christmas Eve. Lots of work but worth it on Christmas morning.

My favorite Holiday memory, is the Chrismas Eve that my sister, (who I hadn’t seen in 15 years), came over for our party with her whole family! I still get choked up whenever we talk about it. Then it got even better…, there was a blizzard and she couldn’t go home because she had no power or heat. They ended up staying with us for 3 days, and it was the best time ever! We caught up on family stories, and all the things it was too hard to talk about with such confusion going on at the house. I thank the powers that be for that wonderful year! Our friendship has never been stronger.

Every Christmas that I can remember (even since childhood) the same man at our church has sung “O Holy Night”. That song is so beautiful, and it has become a tradition to hear him sing it. I also always loved putting the ornaments on our countdown to Christmas tree. My brother and I would take turns and I would try to work it so that I could be the one to put the star at the top. Ha! (He was younger so eventually he caught on!)

My favorite holiday memory comes to me when I was in gradeschool. I was shareing a room with my sister at the time. It was Christams Eve and I couldn’t sleep. I asked my younger sister if I could sleep with her in her bed. She said yes and for some reason I was able to get to sleep. I’ll never forget that night. My younger sister helping me!

My favorite holiday memory is of the year we had to stay at my grandparents’ house the night of Christmas Eve because our pipes had frozen. We woke up Christmas morning to snow everywhere, and had hot chocolate by the fireplace before opening the presents that were stacked under an 8′ tree. As an 8 year old girl, it was like something out of a storybook!

I’ve always loved Christmas for as long as I remember. When I was only six, my parents moved us far away from all the rest of our extended family because of a job transfer. We could only make the trip back to see my grandparents, aunts & uncles, and cousins once a year, and that was at Christmas. Not only was it so exciting to get presents, but the best gift was getting to see all of our extended family at Christmas. Now as an adult with my own children, we still make that trip every Christmas. I’m already eager with anticipation for this year’s reunion.

I am the oldest of 6 children, with the youngest 14 years younger than I. I remember my sister and I telling the youngest that Santa’s reindeer only ate GREEN carrots. While she was in a tizzy trying to get my mom to take her to the store to get green carrots, we sat back and chuckled. When my parents found out what we had done, it was up to us to help her get green carrots. We uses food coloring and colored the carrots. To this day, I can remember our “green” hands at Christmas Morning Mass and getting the oddest looks! My mom wanted us to eat the carrot, but was afraid our tongue and lips would be green too! To this day my parents bring that story up every Christmas and laugh hard at what we looked like!

My Favorite is from when I was three years old My oarents bought my brother and I our own double sided desks with a magnet board chalk boardc storage. It was the “most wanted” that year and we got one. My brother and I LIVED in those things!!!

One of my favorite holiday memories is setting with my family around the Christmas tree in a darkened room watching the changing light patterns on the ceiling and walls from the blinking lights on the Christmas tree. The quiet, peaceful time is a nice change of pace and gives my family a chance to remember the season.

My favorite holiday memory is caroling!! Each year we torment our neighborhood by going Christmas Caroling!! All our friends and families join us–it’s so much fun, even if we can’t carry a note in a basket!!

My favorite childhood memory was when I was probably 4 years old. My grandpa worked for the railway company and at that time was a yard agent for the local train station. On Christmas Eve, Santa would arrive in town on the train and then proceed to go through the town – street by street – on one of the towns firetrucks (a tradition that continues today). Being the granddaughter of the yard agent gave me a VIP pass to the station and I got to stand by the tracks as Santa pulled into town and got off the train. It was such a special, magical moment that I remember so clearly still.

My favorite holiday memory is the whole family getting together at my grandma and grandpa’s house and having dinner and then going to church. It is a simple memory but it is the best because everyone was together! Thanks for the chance to win.

One of my favorite memories is going to church on Christmas Eve then coming home to a wonderful spread of food. Oh boy did we eat a lot! After the feast, my brother and I would get to choose one present to open from under the tree.

My favorite holiday memory is decorating our gnarly cedar tree (my dad loved the smell of cedar) & listening to Loretta Lynn’s Country Christmas record with my brother & sister. We would sing & prance around the tree, decorating it with every color ornament you could imagine. Dad would fight with the lights & mom would mostly sit & watch. My brother found the Loretta Lynn album on CD & gave it as a gift last year for Christmas, some 25 years later. It was fun to relive that memory!!

My favorite memory is the year I was chosen to be Mary during the Christmas Eve service. I was so excited to not be an angel again! I held so still, kneeling the whole time, that my leg fell asleep. Needless to say when I stood up I promptly fell down and had to be helped down the aisle. It was embarrasing but so exciting because I knew I had done the BEST job holding still!

My favorite holiday memory is going to Christmas Eve Midnight Mass. We have gone every year since I can remember. I love sitting in that quiet candlelit church with the smell of pine throughtout it. I have an extreme sense of peace. It’s something that I look forward to every year and something I hope to pass on to future generations of our family.

My favorite holiday memory which continues today is the kids getting up early in the morning on Christmas morning and singing “Oh Come All Ye Faithful” to wake the parents up.
No one was allowed near stockings or tree until everyone was up, being woken by song:)

oh my goodness….this is amazing! I cannot believe so many are on just waiting for these NEW releases! I feel like a child on Christmas morning….and i was that bad. I had to sleep under the tree i was so excited! Where’s my tree right now! oh wait, there’s one coming..lol! But thanks Nichole for all your hard work in helping me find creativity through your love of design. It is trully therapy and just refreshing….

My favorite holiday memory is fairly recent. I met my DH (in person) on November 1st, 2003. For Thanksgiving, he drove down to Iowa to be with his family and then drove back up the next day to meet my family for the first time. He was SO nervous.. he even had to call his dad to ask again what “type” of Lutheran they were again, just in case my family quizzed him. (They didn’t.)

That’s not my favorite memory however. For Christmas that same year, I went with him to Iowa to meet his family. The WHOLE family. (He lucked out and we had supper with my parents, my older brother, his wife and her daughter. My brother’s four kids were with their mom that year.) I was fine for most of the eight hour drive until we were about four miles away from his hometown. Yikes! I would be staying at the home of TOTAL strangers for five days. I was begging him to just drop me off at the side of the road and then just pick me up on his way back. No dice.

The good news is that we arrived on Christmas Eve day and had enough time to change our clothes and then we were off to the church for the Christmas Eve Service. His sister and her family met us there. His five year old niece was wearing her ballet outfit and we were able to “strike up a conversation.” Everyone was so surprised that she warmed up to me right away as she was usually quite reserved.

After the service, we and his parents went back to their place for chili and clam chowder. (No chowder for me as I’m allergic to shellfish.) We opened up a few presents that night and I was so amazed at the presents that I received as they didn’t even KNOW me.

The next day, we went to his grandma’s house and that’s when I met the WHOLE family. His grandma, aunt, her male friend, female cousin and her husband and three kids, male cousin and his wife and four kid, his sister and her husband and two small kids. All in a tiny, tiny house. It was so chaotic and loud — and I loved every minute of it as it reminded me of all of the Christmases when I was little with all of my aunts, uncles, cousins, great aunts, grandparents, great grandparents, parents and my brother. John’s parents were so concerned that this was going to scare me off! This was also the first year that his grandma used Styrofoam plates for the Christmas dinner. (It seemed kind of weird but the clean-up sure was quick!)

It was really a good time and is the holiday memory that sticks in my mind. It was so reassuring to find out that his family is N O R M A L !!! (Well, most of them are…)

My favorite holiday memory is decorating our gnarly cedar tree (my dad loved the smell of cedar) & listening to Loretta Lynn’s Country Christmas record with my brother & sister. We would sing & prance around the tree, decorating it with every color ornament you could imagine. Dad would fight with the lights & mom would mostly sit & watch. My brother found the Loretta Lynn album on CD & gave it as a gift last year for Christmas, some 25 years later. It was fun to relive that memory!!

One of my favorite memories is when my grandfather made a Christmas tree stand for me where the tree rotated. I was probably about 5 or 6 and thought it was so special. I was their only grandchild at the time and they spoiled me rotten!

My favorite memory is going to my grandparents on Christmas Eve. We would all gather there and walk 2 blocks together to go to Mass. For some reason, my dad and one uncle were always late for Mass……anyway when we got home from Church, Santa had come. We would race downstairs to get a glimps of what he had left. We would open gifts one by one so we could all enojy each others gifts as well. (there were about 20 of us.) It would take hours. Then my grandpa would dance with all of the “grand-girls”. Just having him hold you and teach you to dance was the dearest thing……

My favorite Christmas memory is midnight Christmas service. Everything is so quiet, and there is the crunch of snow on our way. At the end of the service, the lights are turned off and the light is passed from candle to candle. Then we sing “Silent Night” and it is amazing!

My favorite is the baking. We would put Christmas music on and would just have a blast. Also when I was a kid, just waiting and waiting until Christmas morning to open our presents…the anticipation when you are a kid..wow.. it always seemed like morning would never come!!!

My favorite holiday memory is really just the preparations that went into decorating the house and making jam cakes with my Memmaw. She always gave out jam cakes as gifts and they were the best EVER! She’s gone now and we’ve tried to duplicate her recipe…but we don’t know how much a “handful of flour” or a “peench of nutmeg” involves so we haven’t quite cracked the code on it. Someday though. I’ll keep practicing!

There have been a lot of favorite memories, but the most memorable was probably the year my son was born. He was 5 weeks early and arrived 12 days before Christmas. He was pretty small and could fit inside a Christmas stocking. And of course, we took lots of pictures of this. That was almost 12 years ago. Needless to say, he was the best Christmas gift I could have ever received.

My favorite holiday memory was the first time my husband was deployed to Iraq, and we got to have a surprise “web conference” on Christmas day. Our youngest child was only 8 months at the time so it was awesome that he got to “see” her, and our boys. I think we were all smiling the rest of the day. =)

Every year on Christmas Eve my extended family gathers for a reunion. My favorite memory is coming home from that reunion, and sitting in the dark living room in silence and just staring at the sparkling Christmas tree for a few peaceful moments before heading off to bed.

My favorite Christmas was when I was 10 and really wanted a bike. On X-mas morning I went down really early-no bike under the tree. After all the gifts were opened, Mom sent me into the kitchen for some egg nog and WOW! There was my NEW BLUE BIKE! It was the best bike ever and I knew my mom did all she could to get it for me.

My favorite holiday memory was when I was a little girl of about 5…I remember going to see santa at the mall…sitting on his lap…and when he asked me what I wanted for Christmas I whispered that I wanted a dolly. A few days later was Christmas…and what was under the tree…a dolly…at the time I remember thinking…santa brought my dolly…even though I kind of knew it was from some family friends…but I still believe that santa put it in their heads to buy it for me 🙂 I have it to this day…34 years later!

One of my favorite holiday memories was caroling on a hay ride with my husband’s family through the snow! The people in the houses even invited us in for hot chocolate and cookies! (I didn’t grow up with snow, so to have the whole experience was a real treat!)

My favorite Christmas memory is putting up Christmas decorations as a family, especially the tree. My brother and I would “help” my dad put the lights on the tree and then once that was finished, my mom would join us as we’d all decorate it with ornaments and garland. I loved pulling the ornaments out of the box where they’d been stored away all year – kind of like reuniting with old friends.

One of my favorite holiday memories is the last Christmas spent with my Uncle before he passed away from Cancer. We still get together with my aunt and cousins, but it’s just not the same. We all miss him so much.

Being a California girl, I had never had a “white” Christmas. The first year we were married, we spent Christmas in Chicago with my husband’s family…oh my, what a beautiful magical white Christmas that was!

My favorite holiday memory is when I was in high school and spent Christmas with my grandmother in upstate New York. I remember how warm her house was. The family packed into her cozy living room. Each person gave someone a homemade gift. I received a set of candle holders from my grandfather. He carved them out of some birch. I still have them and cherish the memories of family and laughter that they invoke.

My favorite holiday memory was last year as it was the first Christmas for both my brothers to be finally married. We spent 6 days in the Smokey Mountains near Pigeon Forge in a beautiful cabin with a huge tree! Was spectacular! Congrats to the team at Papertrey Ink! Love all your items!

My favorite memory was when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I recieved just about everything that was made that year for Barbie. I got the Barbie Plane, RV, ATV, bicycle, Boat, Dune Buggy, Pop up Camper, Garden, and pool. Not to mention all the clothes and the NEW Malibu Barbie.
I recently sold the collection yes I had everything in its orginal boxes!!! I did very well on the sale and I even kept my 2 favorite outfits. Great Coat and Wild n Wintery.
Nicole your the best. Thanks so much Cynthia

I think my favorite holiday memories are just the times being together as a family – immediate and extended family! I love the chance to get together with my aunts & uncles, cousins, etc. – to catch up, to laugh, enjoy good food and just be together!! 🙂

My favorite holiday memory is getting together with all my extended family on my dad’s side to celebrate Hanukkah. We used to go to my grandparents’ house every night of Hanukkah and exchange gifts and light the candles and just have fun with all my cousins! That was in the 50’s and 60’s (I know I’m showing my age!)when we all lived near each other.

My favorite memory is when my younger brother and I snuck upstairs to the living room and saw what Santa had left us! We waited patiently for mom and dad to fall asleep and then we snuck up the stairs and quietly opened the gate and walked around the tree checking everything out. I remember I got a Peaches N Cream Barbie that year and he got a remote control truck. I had to go to the bathroom and I told him to be really quiet until I came back. Well, he just couldn’t resist that remote control truck and soon had it zipping around everywhere and despite my desperate whispers from the bathroom for him to be quiet, soon dad turned on the bathroom light and sent us both back to bed! I remember we didn’t quite make it back to our rooms but instead each of us slept on a stair until we could wait no longer for morning. That was the year I also got the most coveted crimping iron for my hair….what a thrill!

My favorite holiday memory was the first time my husband was deployed to Iraq, and we got to have a surprise “web conference” on Christmas day. Our youngest child was only 8 months at the time so it was awesome that he got to “see” her, and our boys. I think we were all smiling the rest of the day. =)

My mom favorite memories of Christmas are the food and drink! We always celebrate REAL GOOD! Every year we do an appetizer buffet with all kinds of yummy things….My favorite would have to be the grasshopper/ice cream drinks. Each year I make some type of paper craft for the ladies in my family. It’s fun to watch them open the gifts and they are excited to see what I have come up with each year. This release looks like it would be super helpful in making some new goodies!!

My fave holiday memory was Christmas morning of 2003. After opening all of our presents to each other, my then-boyfriend pointed out a little silver box hanging on the tree. It contained an engagement ring and he asked me to marry him! Of course I said YES!

My favorite holiday memory–Our family invited another family who we knew did not have money for Christmas to spend Christmas with us. My dad went and picked them up because they did not have gas money to drive. We found out later that they were planning on sharing a can of baked beans for their Christmas dinner because that was all they had. That was the best Christmas, to see the joy on their faces and to know that we were a blessing to someone in need.

My favorite holiday memory is my sister and I sleeping in the same room on Christmas Eve and staying up talking and thinking that we heard Santa’s sleigh bells ringing…oh, and eating too much chocolate candy during the night while talking.

My favorite holiday memory would be last Christmas Eve. My husband and I had just moved to TN, 14 hours away from both of our families. We couldn’t afford to go home, so it was just us and our puppy. We decided to see a movie (not our normal) and then stay up until midnight. We sat with the lights out,except for the Christmas tree. At midnight we gave our pup a candy-cane shaped bone and exchaged gifts. Very quiet, but very special.

My favorite memory is easy!! Spending almost every Christmas at my cousins farm. Just the best fun a kid could have. It didn’t fail….every year we would wake up way too early on Christmas morning and try to sneak up stairs to see presents. We were always rushed back to bed…and told we could not come back up until it was 6am! There was no clock down there so how were we to know? haha.

My favorite holiday memory was watching my granddaughter being born on Valentine’s Day, 2006. She was the sweetest little valentine ever! I still can’t believe that I got to watch her take her first breath. What a miracle that was!

Thanksgiving is a favorite around our house. My Husband and daughter have their B-days around Thanksgiving and I’m truly THANKFUL for both of them. When I was little, my Mother only trusted me to carry one dish to the table on Thanksgiving. It was a glass dish with a etched ships wheel in the bottom. She always put the butter on this dish. It is now my dish and my girls have had the honor at a young age to carry it to the table.

I grew up on a tobacco farm and was one of five daughters in my family (no brothers). My favorite memory is the year that my dad’s tobacco sold for a good price and for Christmas we got a bicycle, a record player, and a pogo stick (to be shared among the five of us). We thought we were rich and, to this day, if you ask any of us what was our favorite Xmas, we will say, “the year we got the bicycle, the record player, and the pogo stick.”

My favorite memories are picking out our tree, we always cut our own. The weather can be such a change from year to year, but no matter what it’s so much fun. Something our children look forward too every year!

My favorite Christmas memory goes back to when I was around five years old. I talked my parents into letting me sleep downstairs on the sofa. My “plan” was to stay awake and see Santa. Of course, I fell asleep, and while I was dreaming, the jolly old elf showed up!

One of my favorite holiday memories is the year my husband and I were first married. There was an ice storm and the power was out. The family all met up at my husband’s grandparents house where at least they had a gas stove. The entire Christmas meal was cooked on a grill outside (Steak, baked potatoes, and bread). It was such a nice, quiet, relaxing day. It was toasty enough in their big living room with the gas stove going, but without the lights, t.v., etc. it just seemed a more peaceful holiday and we were all able to just enjoy the day and each other’s company.

My favorite holiday memory is baking Christmas cookies as a teenager with my sister and Grandmother while my Mexican Grandpa played his guitar and hummed Christmas carols. He had to hum because he was always stealing the cookies while they were cooling!

My wedding was on 12-23-94 and the magic of Christmas on our honeymoon in Disney. On Christmas Day we went to dinner at the Grand Floridian. When we came in the piano player was playing our wedding song! So sweet! Kym

ONe of my fav christmas memories is when I was younger – I am the oldest of 3 girls and every christmas eve we’d all go to bed super excited about christmas morning – so excited that by 3am I was up (santa had come already) and waking my sisters! The tree lights were all that was on – and we’d sit there and look at everything – it was a very magical feeling – and camped out by the tree till my parents got waken up (by us) at 6am cause we couldn’t wait anymore!

My favorite holiday memory is from when I was seven. That year my cousin who was just 9 months old got meningitis. I remember praying every night for him and asking anyone I came in contact with to do the same. He came home on Christmas Eve that year. That was way better than as bike.

I remember being a little girl, living in Northern Quebec {lots of snow} and going to my grandparents to meet up with the whole family for Christmas. The farm house covered in snow and the Christmas tree lights shinning in the window. I never felt a warmer welcome in my entire life.

My favorite time is when we are all sitting around the Christmas tree waiting for all the gifts to be passed out. We have one of the younger children pass them all out and then one by one we take turns opening a present so everyone can see what each person gets.

I have so many memories. One of my most memorable was last year – sitting on our bed with our kids – all of us opening our stockings in our p.j.’s. I love watching my kids faces. Thanks for the chance to win!

My mother is German and I spent 6 years in Germany while growing up. Some of my favorite memories are of Christmas’ there. We would go to church on Christmas Eve and my parents would have the neighbors put our gifts under the tree while we were away. On our way home we would look for signs of Santa and they would have me believing the red blinking lights of a plane were indeed Santa. It was always so amazing to come home to a pile of gifts and I truly thought we had been visited by Santa while at church.

being a kid and coming home from christmas eve church and just KNOWING santa had been at our house…I knew because you could see the sleigh tracks on the roof in the fresh snow….and finding out years later all the work my dad went through to make those tracks on the roof! Love ya dad!

My favorite holiday memory is the New Year’s Day I spent with my family at the Rose Bowl. We all went to college at the same school, so it was fun to have the chance to cheer our alma mater on together. It was also my parents’ 25th wedding anniversary–who would have thought that 25 years after their wedding, they’d be spending their anniversary 3,000 miles from home with their two college age children at a football game? My parents wouldn’t have had it any other way!

Mine is when I was 7, there was a big ice storm so we couldn’t go back home on Christmas Eve. We stayed up all night and got back home in the morning. Presents were under the tree, so since we weren’t there all night, that meant for me that Santa exists, that he was real. I was on the edge of not beleiving.

I have 2! The first is every Christmas when my dad put up the nativity scene, he always hid the baby Jesus behind the manger until Christmas morning. It was his job to put it in place. Also, I always had to give up my bed to my aunt, so my sister and I slept in sleeping bags in my parent’s bedroom on Christmas Eve. We couldn’t sleep, we would be so excited. At 5:00 Christmas morning, we would try to sneak out to look at our stockings, but dad would say, “back to bed!” Ok, one last one, when my son was 3 or 4 he would write Santa a little note and leave hot chocolate in a thermos so it wouldn’t get cold…how sweet is that? Congrats on the new releases!!

My favorite holiday memory actually happened last year. My oldest David (who was 3) was just in awe that “Santa” ate the cookies and the “reindeer” ate the carrot that he left out on the fireplace. He talked about it all day long!! He helped me make the cookies on Christmas Eve and he kept saying that the cookies must have been really good because Santa ate all of them!! The innocence of children is so endearing!!

It has to be Christmas Eve when I was young spending it with all of our relatives my mam used to have a table layden with food and after our supper we would share gits with Aunts.Uncles.Cousins and Grandparents it was always fun and laughter and a magical family moment.

My Favorite Holiday memories are many…but they all involve family, food and Laughter…lots of laughter…my family loves to hang out in the kitchen and help, chat, laugh and sample the holiday dinners and snacks!

One of my favorite memories is the Christmas Eve that we had a house full of family sleeping over. We had girls in one bedroom, boys in another bedroom, and adults all spread over my living room floor. We had a total of 15 stockings hung and placed at the mantel that night. What a fantastic Christmas Morn that was.

A Christmas memory that makes me glow inside is the year that we hosted a caroling party at our house for all of my singing friends. It was a snowy night and we went from house to house singing our hearts out. Then we returned to my house to eat and laugh. What fun!

My dad was a fireman so he often had to work on Christmas Day, I always loved waking up super early to open presents before dad left for work and then getting to go spend part of Christmas at the fire station with my dad and all of my fireman “uncles”.

I have some great childhood Christmas memories, but one of my all time favorites has to be the year my son Jack (nearly three at the time) recieved an old-fashioned bouncey horse from Santa…you know the kind…the horse on the springs? Anyway, he saw that horse and he was done. He bounced for hours! We finally had to convince him four hours later to open the rest of his presents. He’s 12 now and we still have that horse…

I think one of my most memorable holidays when we traveled through the night with kids to arrive back in Pittsburgh to be with family on Christmas Day. We drove through an ice storm and then we had van troubles and could barely go through the mountains at 25mph – then finally couldn’t go anymore. We were stranded on the turnpike in 8 degree weather and had to call family at 5 or 6AM to come and get us fortunately we were only 1 hour away.

My favorite holiday memory is when I was 6 and I got my bike. My father was outside putting my bike together and he dropped my bike ( whick made a very loud BANG) My family all ran outside and there was my bike. Thought the BANG was from being drop out of Santa sled.

My favorite holiday memories are getting to see my dad over Christmas breaks. My parents were divorced, and my dad was stationed overseas for a lot of my childhood. But, I got to see him a couple of times at Christmas. It was better than any present!
I already won in the other contest tonight, but wanted to share my memories. Good Luck to everyone!

My favourite holiday memory has to be from 2005. It was the first time Matt and I were together for Christmas. We live so far from our parents that we normally would each go visit our parents seperatly. This year was also our first Christmas in our first home together. It was nice to wake up next to each other. We lazed about all day, stayed in our PJ’s all day and just enjoyed the time together.

My favorite holiday memory is from last Christmas Eve. My husband had to work Christmas Day so he went to sleep and my son (17 at the time) and I stayed up until about 4 AM just talking and reminiscing by the light of our Christmas tree. A simple event but so very special to me.

My favorite memory is the Christmas that my husband and I and out two sons spent Christmas in Connecticut with my sisters. We all sat in front of the fire and my sisters and I told stories of when we were children and I hope that we created new memories for our sons to look back on.

Going non-traditional, here, but MY favorite holiday memory is from when I was a little kid, and my family was in NY visiting for Passover. All our family was there, including all the Great Aunts and Uncles that were here (in this country). I only wish I’d been a little older so I could have taken advantage of those days and not been just one of the little kids running around Grandma & Grandpa’s apartment. But I do remember them all being there!

My favorite holiday memory is sitting around a large table putting together Christmas jigsaw puzzles with immediate and extended family on Christmas Eve at my in-laws’ house. There would be a roaring fire in the fireplace, baking smells in the air, and people scurrying about wrapping last minute presents. The jigsaw puzzles brought together young and old, and it was a wonderful time of togetherness. Congrats on yet another wonderful collection of stamps; thanks for the chance to win.

My parents owned a small inn in New Hampshire, so even at 4 years old I knew all about the inn business. The minister’s wife read the Christmas story to us young ones. As soon as she said “there was no room at the inn”. I said “Well, they should have made reservations!”

My favorite holiday memory happened when I was just married. We did not have very much money, but we were so excited to celebrate our first Christmas together as husband and wife. We woke up and opened what few gifts we had and spent the whole day celebrating the birth of our savior together…just the two of us.

My favorite holiday memory was getting up early Xmas morning, we got to open our stockings, then off to church. I sang in the choir, and we had candlelight Xmas morning service…So many times I could look out the stained glass windows and see it snowing…After church was a Xmas breakfast, which we ,loved but needed to get home and see what santa left, loved that early Xmas morn service..

One is that every year on Christmas Eve all my great grandparents friends/family got together way back when. Now their children’s children (my dad/his sister) host it yearly… Most of the families still have someone living in the old neighborhood. It is so much fun to see them all, young and old. We still have an Aunt who is really not related, but will be 99 this years. I still remember her 40+ years ago… It was most fun for me when my grandparents were alive. We can’t make it every year now, but one recent year there were 90+ people. My second is
Making holiday cut out cookies and decorating them with all my cousins. As long as I can remember, our moms gathered us at one or another’s home. There would be mounds of cookies in every cut out shape imaginable. And at least ten colors of icing… Whatever sprinkles were available. The rule was each parent brought trays to take home what their children made. The best part is I have a cookie party yearly with friends/neighbors children. I love that I can continue a family tradition. Of course, when I was young, there were 25+ cousins who did it, so my parties are smaller. But I don’t care how many years go by, it’s still one of my favorite things to do for the holidays (I have over 200 cookie cutters).
Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Em

Christmas Eve dinner is always special. We have a traditional Slovak dinner of mushroom soup and pierogies, then open family gifts. Some of my favorite memories are of setting up my grandfather’s wooden Nativity set before dinner.

My favorite holiday memory was when we were little my parents would pack up the 7 of us kids to go to church while we were getting into the car my parents were always the last to get in the car.(Putting presents under the tree)We would go to church and on our way home we would pass by this house that had a Santa going in and out of the chimney. We thought that was so cool and then we would sing Christmas songs on the 35 minute ride back home. When we arrived Santa would already have stopped by our house!! We would all be so excited!!!Thanks for the chance at this prize!! :)Kathy

There are many favorite memories but last Christmas will always be special. It was the first Christmas that we (DH, myself, our son and his daughter) were all together for Christmas morning. Every year prior we worked around everyone elses schedules and had our family time weeks early. My stepdaughter moved in with us last year and we finally got to have OUR Christmas. A very special family moment that I will never forget.

The feeling that my Mom and Dad kept the belief of Santa Claus alive for as long as they could. I know that isn’t the reason we have Christmas, but to a child it is magical. Later on, it was being old enough to go to Midnight Mass with my Dad and older brother and sister. Oh, if I could turn back time!
Trish

one of my favorite holiday memories happens after our big family lunch. everyone clears off the table of lunch and replaces it with the monopoly board. everyone gathers around the table to play. someone different wins each year but we always have a ton of laughs!

My favorite holiday memory…gosh I have so many! When I was younger it would be shopping or making chocolate with my sisters and my mom. We still do that every year! Now that I have child of my own, every Christmas seems to bring new and great memories. I love seeing the holidays through my son’s eyes! Thanks so much for the chance!
Heather B.

My favorite holiday memory is putting up the Christmas. I always did it by myself and it seemed to take forever. But once the tree was up and the lights were on, it gave the house a special look and feel.

My favorite holiday memory is going out with my dad and sisters to pick out a Christmas tree. We would pick out a tree that we thought no one would want (because it was crooked, bare, etc.), cut it down, take it home, and decorate it with our favorite ornaments. By the time we were done, the flaws were no longer visible, and we had a beautiful tree that we admired the whole season.

My favorite holiday memories are making them with my kids! I love trying to make the holidays memorable for them so they look forward to it every year. It’s the greatest thing seeing the festive holiday season through their eyes.

One of my favorite holiday memories was seeing my son’s eyes when he came down stairs to see what Santa brought him – we bought him one of those battery powered John Deere trucks. He was flipping out and he didn’t even question how Santa could have fit such a ginormous vehicle in his sleigh.

My favorite holiday memories is waking up and finding the lights on the Christmas tree on…I came out to find my five year old daughter asleep under the tree with the presents all around her. So precious.

I will never forget the year we went to NYC for the holidays. The tree in Rockefeller Center was so breathtaking I cried, and there was just something about drinking hot cider while watching the skaters that made it feel more like Christmas. The fact that I got to share it with my family was what made it most memorable of all.

I guess my favorite Christmas memory is the massive baking projects I used to do for all the neighbors where we used to live. Some of these projects will be perfect to start that up again.

At first I was going to mention my oldest child”s first Christmas, 20 years ago. He was just getting over his first stomach virus, too, and gave it to us. We were SO sick, me on the love seat and hubby on the couch, sharing a trash can, while our newly-well son looked puzzled. We were supposed to be in a live nativity scene that night, but it was canceled due to the bitter cold (this was in Alabama). Some people from the church came over and helped us out. All in all it has ended up being a favorite memory!

My favorite memory is when my brother and I were very little and we could barely sleep because we were so excited for Santa to come. We decided to get up to see if he had been to our home yet, we slowly crept up the stairs and we both swore we had seen him hunched over and enjoying our Christmas cookies and milk!! We ran back to bed and closed our eyes tight..it was something neither of us have ever forgotten, a special moment we shared together among many others.

As a Gramma my best memory in my lifetime is a very fresh memory from last year. I can still see the expression on my 3 year old GrandDaughter’s face as she peeked inside the houses of the Christmas village………her eyes had as much sparkle in them as the lights on the tree.

My favorite holiday memories all center around my kids. I especially remember when I was a young newly divorced single mom and we had to be very creative that first Christmas. My eldest children still remember that tree covered with homemade red bows!

My favorite holiday memory is when I used to be up at 4 or 5 am watching and waiting for my parents to get out of bed on Christmas morning. Of course while I waited I shook some boxes and checked my stocking. I loved it!

My favorite memory is of first discovering snow in Utah. I was raised in California and went to visit my grandparents. The feeling of snow falling from the sky, tickling me skin. It was magic. Then going inside and being warmed by my grandma’s cocoa, hugs and love.

being woken up at 4:30 am by an overexcited grandpa who made us get us, eat breakfast, AND take showers BEFORE we got to open presents!AHHHH! i am also LOVING christmas time with my kids…it is all so much more magical once again with them around! love it!

I have so many great holiday memories. One of my favorite is the first time my husband, stepson, and I built a gingerbread house (yes, Niki E’s gingerbread kit brought up some fond memories). We got one of those gingerbread kits from Joann’s and ended up eating many of the toppings before they even made it to the house. Ryan (my stepson) was 9 and wanted to have the Looney Toons Christmas cd blaring while we assembled the house. It ended up lopsided with decorations for only one side of the house, but we had a wonderful time singing along with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and the gang.

My favorite holdiay memory was when Santa actually showed up at our house with gifts for all of us kids. It was so fun to believe in Santa and now it’s fun to do some of the same fun things with my kids.

My favorite holiday memory has to be the year our high school age son and his friend decorated the Christmas cookies to take to my brother’s home on Christmas. Decorating cookies took on new meaning that year with so much laughter in the kitchen between the two guys and some “over-decorated” cookies. What really surprised me though, was Josh, on Christmas day, telling everyone he had decorated the cookies himself!

My favourite holiday memory is when my grandpa was taking me to a Xmas Fair that takes place in a big square in the center of Rome (where I was born). I was taking pictures with Santa Claus, I could ask to buy a bag of sweets and look at the thousand of gifts and make my list for Santa Claus.

My favorite Christmas memory is the year we had an old fashioned Christmas. We made all our ornaments, strung popcorn for garland, & made our own candles to light the tree. We celebrated Christmas Eve without electricity. We used candles for light and followed the traditions of my grandparents. It was the most wonderful Christmas. It made me feel so much closer to my grandma & grandpa. I get warm fuzzies just relaying the story.

I love your stamps! Thanks for sharing with the world your creative talent.

My favorite memory of the Hollidays are waking up to the smell of onions, sage, and butter frying in a pan. My dad always made Homemade stuffing on Christmas morning to fill the turkey. The rest of the day was filled with family and friends coming over all day and night. My parents always had an open house on Christmas and invited anyone that would want to stop by. We lived in Michigan at the time and there was always snow on the ground. The smell of the cool air and the smell of the food in the kitchen will forever be remembered for breaking bread and drinking wine with family and friends. Perfect Christmas.

My favorite memory would have to be the one of last year! Our family started christmas early, on my older brothers birthday(which is the 23rd of December) we opened gifts at 11pm, which was funny because we had to wait til he got home. And everyday until christmas night we’d get together! i hope this year we can do that again!

My favorite holiday memory was when I was a little girl and my Mom’s side of the family would get together on Christmas Eve at an Aunt’s house. Some time during the evening, there would be a huge clatter and we would all rush to the bulkhead stairs. We would throw open the doors and the stairs would be covered with presents. Then Santa would come down the stairs (one of the uncles/cousins would dress as Santa) and pass out the gifts to everyone, even the adults. Im still amazed that the adults could pull this off year after year, with us kids not having a clue lol. Thanks for the contest, I havent thought of this in years 🙂

Definitely the Christmas that I found out that my mom and grandmother were Santa Clause. I got up to potty and saw them stuffing my stocking but said nothing. The next morning, all those gifts read “from Santa.” Busted!

My favorite holiday memory is decorating the Christmas tree with my dad. He’d help put on the lights – we’d have to plug in each strand to replace the dead bulbs first and start at the bottom of the tree. After that, the kids (and there were 7 of us) put on the ornaments with mom. Once the ornaments were done, Dad and I would hang the tinsel. We had to hang it one strand at a time – he didn’t like it in clumps – and I was the only one patient enough to do it that way. It was nice, because it always gave us a chance to talk – I could talk to him about anything and didn’t have to worry about sharing that time with the rest of my siblings. They never understood why I liked hanging the tinsel. I’ll always treasure those memories of my dad.

One of the best things about the holidays for me is baking cookies. I can remember going to my grandmother’s house with my mother when I was younger and us helping her bake batches and batches of cookies. Now I’ve carried on that tradition and bake tons of cookies for the holidays. Everyone looks forward to receiving their special box of cookies from me!

I wanted to tell you that I appreciate everything you do to inspire us each and every month. I am always in a jaw dropping position when I visit your blog and the design teams blogs. All your ideas and details are wonderful 🙂

My favorite holiday memory would have to be when we had my parents and all the siblings here for Christmas. It was such a wonderful time and I wish we could do that every year.

My favorite holiday memory is a mix of happiness and sadness. My grandmother was in the hospital obviously not doing well. Even though it was a very tough time for my family, it was also one of happiness. The entire family came together as one including those cousins who were estranged for many years. Even to this day, I thank her for bringing us all back together.

My Mom was a single Mother to my two sisters (and me) for many of our childhood years, but she always tried to make the Holidays extra special for us… Including one year when we were all headed off to church and my Mom lingered behind a little. Unbeknownst to us, she was “arranging” for Santa to make his stop while we were gone — so the house was transformed while we were away! I suppose at the time we wondered what was taking her so long, but we were really none the wiser… 🙂

My favorite holiday memory was receiving a present from “Santa” outside my bedroom window sill (we didn’t have a fireplace for Santa to get into our house). My Mom explained that Santa found many ways to deliver presents to good little girls and boys and in our case, outside of our window. I thought that was the best thing in the whole world and I fully believed and awed at the fact that I was a good enough girl for the past year to receive a present from Santa!

I would have to say that one of my favorite Holiday memories was last year. Our local fire department has “Santa” ride around the town on a big fire truck. Our son, age two, was so excited as we watched Santa through the window. Every since then, every time we see a fire truck he wants to know where Santa is!

My favorite holiday memory was a few years back. Santa was tired that evening setting out the gifts for our three children and in his haste left behind a leather strap that had three large gold bells on it. It must have fallen out of one of the boxes and went unnoticed. The next morning when all the gifts had been opened and wrapping paper was scattered everywhere, my middle son discovered the bells lying on the hearth. He picked them up with a look of wonder and exclaimed, “Look, Santa left us a piece of one of his reindeer’s harness.” The look of delight on his face was even greater than when he opened his gifts. He told everyone that day that Santa had left him the best gift ever–part of the sleigh. Every Christmas since then when the bells are unpacked he exclaims with delight. The funny thing is that neither my husband nor I have any idea where the bells came from in the first place but if you ask my son he knows. The magic of Christmas:)

I got engaged on December 26, 1990, at Disneyworld. I got an adjustable one-size-fits-all Mickey Mouse ring that I wore until I got my actual engagement ring. The “gold” came off right away, but it has a place of honor in my jewelry box. This is definitely my favorite holiday memory!!

My favorite would have to be the year my Dad was extremely ill, and we didnt have much money, so my Mom sewed me a bunch..and I mean a BUNCH of barbie clothes. I got one Barbie doll, suntan Barbie and a WHOLE case of clothes! It was THE best present ever.

My favorite memory goes back to the Christmas Eve evening my belief in Santa Claus became clear and constant fact which remains to this day. I was 12 years old and had for the past couple years “gone along” with the idea that Santa really existed just so I wouldn’t disappoint my family. It was snowing that evening and Dad came up with his annual excuse to get my brother, my baby sister, and me out of the house so “Santa” could arrive and leave our presents under the tree. We all bundled into the car and drove to the drugstore to pick up some last minute item that we couldn’t do without. As we were driving down the snowy road to our house on the return trip home I could have sworn I heard the faint jingle of sleigh bells in the distance, and then as we crested the top of the hill and our home was in sight I could see prints.. hoof prints on the snow covered roof leading to the fireplace chimney. I pointed them out to my brother and sister and to my Dad! Santa had really come our house!!
A couple years later I learned that Tiger our fat and furry marigold cat would often warm himself over the chimney flu on cold winter nights. But I chose to believe that those prints in the snow that night were not Tiger’s but those of Santa’s reindeer and it was His sleigh bells I heard in the distance as he drove out of sight. I play this story in my mind and in my heart each Christmas Eve, and then reconfirm my belief that there really is a Santa Claus.

My favorite memory is my mom leaving a small goodie next to our cereal bowls every morning to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas. We did not have much money so she would leave a pencil, piece of candy, etc.:)

One of my favorites is from circa 1965 – A Barbie House made from cardboard – we call it chipboard now – It even had a swanky sliding door! My parents and grandparents stayed up all night putting it together! I loved it so much and wish I still had it.

I think my favorite memory (how can I just pick one?) has to be decorating the tree—we put on all the Christmas music and have smores, hot cocoa and whatever else suits our fancy that year—-but always smores and cocoa….these are sweet memories that I treasure! Our Christmas Eve service is a close second—always a sweet time with our family and friends~

I remember the big bright light on the top of my moms old movie camera. Every christmas morning without fail that thing was on. We saw spots for hours afterward, but it always reminded us of the excitement of christmas and the love my mom had for us because she actually CARED about recording us in all our early morning, dorky glory.

My favorite holiday memory is making monkey bread for breakfast. It was always SO yummy! It’s a tradition that I have continued with my own family. After we have seen what Santa has brought, we take a break before unwrapping the rest of the gifts to make the monkey bread and it cooks while we are ripping open the packages. It brings a wonderful aroma and we can’t wait to eat it!

I can’t wait to see all the new releases in full! I am SO excited for the holidays this year!

Lawrence Welk records crackling on the old stereo while Mom baked homemade Christmas treats in the kitchen while my brother and I put the stringy silver tinsel in large clumps on the real tree we had picked for Dad to cut from our family farm. Good times.

I have so many fond memories of Christmas from my childhood, and can’t point to any one as the most favorite. I just loved the whole exciting season, with cooking, decorating and parties and Christmas programs: it was all so much fun, and I hope I can give my children fond holiday memories, too.

1995 was our “Norman Rockwell Christmas”! My daughter was 6 and my son was 2 1/2. The stockings were hung, we had two Christmas Trees, and everything was decked out for the holidays. The kids were so excited to see Santa coming for a visit with them on his horse drawn carriage. It was all very magical and I have yet to be able to re-create that very special time!.

When I was a child, my family moved often due to my father’s job. In spite of those moves, my sister and I always had the continuity of activities and family traditions to anchor us. One of those traditions was attending the candlelight service at church on Christmas Eve. We joined the rest of the congregation in singing familiar carols and listening to the recital of the Christmas story as the lights in the sanctuary were replaced with the soft glow of candles. Those special times live in my memory today and I cherish them all. I was truly fortunate to have had such a wonderful childhood.

My favorite holiday was when we went to visit my husband’s family in Wisconsin for Christmas when we first got married. I loved watching how his family celebrated the holidays. It made me really feel a part of his family. Being a Southern California girl, I was able to see real snow on Christmas morning too which was a huge treat!

My favourite holiday memories are, every year, being woken up by both my brothers in the middle of the night (anywhere between 4 and 6 am) to open our stockings that ‘Santa’ had put at the bottom of our beds! It was such a thrill to open them up quietly, while our parents were still sleeping! We would go back to bed after we had opened them and try and get back to sleep until the sun came up. We were not allowed to wake our parents until it was light outside, and being from Scotland, the sun quite often didn’t rise until about 8.30 am!!!!! It was pure torture!!!! So, the fact that we could have a little sneak peak at what Santa had brought us was a lot of fun! We even carried this tradition on while we were teenagers, lol!!!

My favorite Holiday memory is my grandma and my mon in the kitchen cooking. I was about 7 or 8 when they had made a small apron for me and asked me to help. I still get excited 30 years later when that invitation comes to join them in the kitchen to prepare our family meal.

My favorite holiday memories are of sitting around the menorah with my lovely little girls and husband, basking in the glow of the candles, with all the other lights in the house off… we wait to see which candle will stay lit the longest… oh, the last puff of smoke of the last light on the last night… sigh!

As a small girl, Santa did visit our house (no mom would want her kid to feel like Santa didn’t love her, too…) and I remember sharing chocolate mice with my even littler sister. It was a memory I will treasure, too.

My favorite recent holiday memories are when my daughter and I stayed at my mother’s house for Christmas. Then we would get up and open our presents in our pjs. My mother died almost 2 years ago, so our Christmas’ are a bit different now.

My favorite holiday memory took place on Christmas Eve, 1982. I brought my four year old son home in the early evening after running last-minute errands, and we saw the red light of an airplane blinking up in the sky. Of course, we just KNEW it was Rudolph, and we had to get to bed as soon as possible so Santa would come!

I started a tradition in my family that every year we make Holiday goodies using the BEST recipes I have found over the years. Then we take them to our neighbors and sing carols! The kids absolutely LOVE it and look forward to it every year.

My favorite holiday memory is going to my grandma’s for Christmas Eve. We’d go to church and then go back to her place and wait for the rest of the family to arrive to start opening gifts. When we were young, my brothers and sisters and I didn’t like waiting for everyone else to arrive (it seemed SO LONG), but looking back now, it’s one of my fondest memories because my aunt would play the piano and we would all sing Christmas carols and just spend time with each other. Thanks for the chance to win this awesome package!

My favorite holiday memory, as a child, was Christmas Eve. My cousins would come over to spend the day and we would have oyster stew and chili for supper before going to meet with extended family for a gift exchange. My Mom came from a large family and her siblings would bring their families. There were cousins to play with, good treats to eat, and presents to open! Then we would get home late and try to sleep, which was so hard because we knew Santa was coming…

My favorite holiday memory is the fist year we were able to spend Christmas with our only grandchild. We bought him amoungst other things a plastic wagon filled with blocks. True form it was the least exspensive gift and his favorite. He spent the whole day filling it with toys and emptying it and climbing in and out and coaxing rides. He was only a year and a half old. We had waited so long for him and that Christmas was so special as we saw it through the eyes of a very special child. Ann Lind

My favorite holiday memory is last Christmas, my daughter’s first Christmas, and just seeing the look on her face as she opened all of her presents.
I just love this time of year, when the weather gets cool, I live in San Diego, so it doesn’t get too cold, and just listening to Christmas music with my husband and kids.

Growing up, all of the bedrooms were down one hall. In order to prevent my sisters and I from waking my parents up too early my dad would build a “trap” at the end of the hall. A favorite of his was a stack of boxes that had a motion detector in them. If the alarm went off, we had to go back to bed till 6:30 (!!!). If we got through it successfully (which did happen occasionally!) we got to start the party early. Every year we would plan our strategy. One year we hid in the hall closet (outside of the trap) and ate cookies and fudge all night. My favorite, though, was the year we all slept in my room (the only one with only a one-story drop) and we somehow climbed out the window and through the front door, thus circumventing the trap!! Ahh, those were the days!

One of my favorite holiday memories is kind of a strange one. My elderly grandparents stayed at our house Christmas eve, Grandma had been sick, woke up Christmas morning, and promptly fainted to the floor. The ambulance came and took her to the hospital where she was given fluids and eventually released later that day. She hadn’t been drinking enough water, since she’d been sick with a bug, and was dehydrated. But the whole experience reminded us of how precious life is and made that Christmas all the more special. Opening presents that day suddenly seemed unimportant, since we’d already been given the best gift of all.

My favorite Christmas memory is of taking my children outside to sprinkle “reindeer dust” out on the snow to lead Santa to our house. The excitement on my children’s faces made me tingle inside. Then in the morning to see Santa’s “footprints” on the carpet leading to the tree was priceless!

My elder son battled drugs for a very long time. Due to some very wrong things he did while under the influence, he was jailed for a year. It was October when he got out of jail, and he was like a new person. He was so happy and the holidays were a joy with him. I remember him joyfully stringing the lights on the tree (a task I usually despise). He also got out ALL of our decorations, no matter how old or tacky, and spread them around the house. He had so much fun shopping and choosing just the right gift for every member of the family. He was the light of every family party, and we were so thankful to have him back to us.

Unfortunately, drugs do not give up their fight, and by summer my son was once again battling those demons. After a valiant struggle, he lost his final battle and passed away on September 3 (which was also his birthday). I love my son so much and am so proud of him for the fight he waged. That final holiday season with him will be one I will remember with love and joy forever.

My favorite holiday memory is one that my husband and I started our first Christmas together. We did not own a nativity set so he decided to carve a different piece every year which our children would some day be able to play with. He hand-carved and painted Mary and Joseph the first year of our marriage. Followed the next year by the manger and baby Jesus. For the past 20 years he has added a new figure to our set. Then on Christmas eve, we, along with our eight children, sit at the kitchen table, eating home-made cookies, drinking eggnog, and acting out the Christmas story using all of the nativity pieces. We have a great time of remembering all that God has done for us throughout the past year.

The memory that comes to mind is a recent one. Two years ago, my husband and I hosted Christmas for each of our families, separately. We had overnight guests from his side for a few days before Christmas. They departed Christmas Eve morning. And then my side of the faimly began to arrive Chirstmas Eve afternoon. They too stayed overnight. By Christmas night, all our extened family members had left and it was just the two of us again. And we had our “third” Christmas of the week. It was so quiet and peaceful and fun as we exchanged our presents to each other. Such a nice change of pace from the rest of the week. Though we had been married for many years, it felt like our first “family” Christmas, just the two of us.

My favorite holiday memory was when I was 12. My best friend had a poodle and I wanted a poodle aswell. While opening presents Santa came with a bag and out came the cutest puppy ever… I still believe in Santa to this day !!!!

My favorite holiday memory is when I was younger. My dad was very good at making things for us out of wood and that year, he made me a rocking horse that was brown and white and he’d even given it yarn hair. I named it Valentine and it was so special to me. It inspires me to make memories like that for my 3 kids! Christmas is by far my favorite holiday!

My favorite memory is of my son at age 8 building a gingerbread house and filling the center of the house with candy before he put the roof on. Later his house experienced an “earthquake” (we live in CA) and crumbled, making it easy for him to eat the candy inside!

My favorite holiday memory is when my dad wouldn’t let us come out of our rooms until he started to play Christmas music. We would go to bed with this news on Christmas eve…so sad and disappointed that we had to wait only to wake up before dawn to the sound of Christmas music. Dad couldn’t ever make it past 6am.:)

My favorite memory was when we were little, because of the fact that we were poor we never had a christmas, though we celebrated, my parents could never afford the tree, presents, etc. But for the first time when I was 9 a man came and brought us gifts, the tree, and he actually knew what we wanted. Till this day, I dont know who he is. But that was our first christmas ever, and its my FAVORITE!!

My favourite memory is hearing my 3 eldest children waking at 5am christmas morning 3 years ago! I remember hearing the 3 of them trying so hard to whisper with squeals of excitment about Santa eating the cookies they had baked for them the night before. They just couldnt believe that Santa had visited and eaten ‘their’ cookies…I think I was listening to them for 5 mins or so, it was one of the nicest conversations I had cheekily listened in on……hehe…The magic of Christmas for children is amazing!

I think the best was when we traveled up to Wisconsin to my Grandparents farm. We lived in Texas and so when we got there it had snowed a TON! It was so exciting for us — then on Christmas Eve – Santa came up on the tractor from the fields — we couldn’t believe our eyes. It was so much fun — between our family and our cousins, there were 20 kids at the house that evening — Santa brought each of us a gift — I received a Holly Hobby Doll– I loved her so much! 🙂

Two years ago my husband suggested we start a tradition of reading The Night Before Christmas to our then 1 year old son. We rushed out at the last minute to find a copy of the treasured tale. Moments before we sat down to read the story, I found out I was pregnant! The “night before Christmas” will always be our favorite holiday memory!

My favorite holiday memory is simply the excited chatter with my family on Christmas Eve. My brothers & I would be all a buzz wondering when Santa would get here, whether we could stay awake to see him, if he’d eat our cookies, etc.

My daughter is 3 now, so now I get to experience it as a parent. Young exuberance – I just love it.

Thanks so much for this – I have a journaling entry for a scrapbooking page. 🙂

And thanks for the opportunity to win. I love all your new designs (so far) and cannot even imagine the parts of the sets that we HAVEN’t seen yet!!

I love Christmas and it is hard to choose just one favorite memory… I love everything about Christmas! If I had to choose, it would definitely be driving around looking at Christmas lights each year and coming home to enjoy some hot chocolate! One year for my Dad’s 50th Birthday, we rented a limo for our Christmas light tour.

My favorite holiday memory is the year I bought a bag of plague toys for the seder to make it more interesting for the kids. There was a little frog that jumped across the table when you pressed on it. The kids thought it was so funny, and we nearly didn’t finish the seder because they didn’t want to stop playing with it.

My favorite Christmas memory is coming home from midnight mass and talking our parents into letting us open our presents when we got home. When me and my sisters and brother woke up that morning…there wasn’t anything left to open! Although it wasn’t funny that Christmas morning, we laugh about it every year when we get together!

It had to be the year that my mom and dad paid for my family of 5 to go with them to S. Carolina to visit my sister over the holidays. It was the best Christmas ever! We have such wonderful memories now.

So many to choose from, and although this isn’t your *typical* holiday…my memory is about New Years’ Eve… my first daughter was due to be born 2 days after Christmas in 2003. So Christmas came, and went…and each day thereafter came…and went…and then on New Years’ Eve (which is also my sister’s birthday) my little girl decided it was her time to shine. She was born at 9:32 pm, we got back to my room and rang in the New Year as a new family with homemade Oatmeal Raisin cookies and Pepsi 🙂

my favorite memory would when i was 8 years old, it was our first year we actually had a christmas tree, i remember me and my twin sister sitting down and opening our presents, we both got a beauty and the beast mirror with lip balm, i couldnt put it down for days!!

I have lots of special Christmas memories, but among my favorites are spending Christmas Eve at my grandparents’ house. This was our big celebration growing up, and as we piled in the car Dad was inside frantically getting “Santa’s” presents ready. We always stayed up past midnight at my grandparents’, and when we got home late that night we’d find that Santa had already arrived.

my favorite holiday memory is seeing all of my family opening up the presents that I took so much care in picking out!….also, eating my mom’s DELICIOUS holiday dinners always make me feel so happy to be surrounded by those closest to me

My favourite holiday memory is sitting around my Grandma’s big dining table watching dish after dish come out and enjoying all those wonderful Christmas delicacies with family. Now I have the table in my own dining room and we are carrying on that spirit of Christmas.

I’m not sure it’s my “favorite” memory…but the one that sticks out most in my mind is when I was 10 I ended up with Salmonella over Christmas…..awful memory I know…but it is one that definitely sticks in my mind still after all these years.

My favorite holiday memory is that of my grandmother and I spending time together. We would bake together for several days in advance in preparation for a houseful of company for the holidays. We made so many sweets…far more than one houseful of guests could possibly consume during their stay. Then the meal preparations…turkey, ham, oyster stew, and chili among other things. I value that time with my grandmother so much. It is because she allowed me to share in the process that I now know how to bake and cook.

When the Gift my boys really wanted was not left by Santa but was wrapped and under the tree for weeks before Christmas…the last gift to be opened was what they wanted most. They were surprised and so happy.

Definitely decorating the Christmas tree on December 18th, my Mom’s birthday. It always was such a surprise how beautiful the tree looked once the lights were turned on at night for the first time. My mother has been gone now for 38 years but her memory still burns as brightly as those tree lights in my heart.

I’m going to have to go with the year that my grandparents drove down to California to spend the Holidays with us. They gave my brother and I each our very own little TV’s. Yes, they were black & white and we had only 5 channels and {gasp} no remote…but, I still felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

My favorite Christmas memory is lining up on the stairs on Christmas morning youngest to oldest. We weren’t allowed to see the tree/presents until my dad had videotaped everything (and dressed and shaved–argh!). We all paraded down together and saw all of the goodies. Santa left some presents unwrapped, which was always fun.

All my favorite Christmas memories are centered around Christmas Eve! I love when my family is all gathered together, only the Christmas lights on with some candles lit around the room, and we sing Christmas carols and listen to the Christmas story. It’s the best!

My favorite holiday memory has to be the blinding lights Dad would use with the 8mm camera as we were tearing into packages late on Christmas eve(s) after Santa had come & gone. When I became a parent, I realized that way back then when he would yell at us to “SLOW DOWN” it was because he wanted to savor every moment. I sure do miss him.

Almost anything around Christmas with my daughter is a memory in the making. Last year she was 5 and she kept going to the computer to Track Santa then running out the front door to look up in the sky for signs of his approach. She was thrilled to sprinkle the magic reindeer food so he would know just where to come!
I love that sparkle she has on Christmas Eve!

Favorite memory would have to be living in GErmany – we were a young 20-something couple, both in the Army, with a 2 year old; it was Christmas Eve and we were walking to the PX (military store) for items we needed , coming home in the dark it started snowing – just beautiful….nothing big and fancy, just one of those good to be alive and with someone you love moments.
Jazzi

One of my favorite holiday memories was when it snowed on Christmas night. It snowed so much that my husband and I couldn’t make it all the way home. We got stuck in the snow about a 1/2 of a mile from home and had to walk up a steep snow covered hill in the middle of the night. It was fun!

Every Christmas my Dad would take the time to make us a special Christmas gift that was just from him. One time it was cedar hearts to put in my hope chest, another time it was a story he wrote for me, a scrapbook of my favorite ballet dancer, special barrettes for my hair and the list goes on. You never knew what you were going to get but you know if was going to be the gift that was going to touch your heart. He passed away 6 years ago and now I try to do the same thing for my children. I take the time to make something special that is just for them from me.

Mine is we’d all go to mid-night mass; come home open presents and feast!!! Now we’re all apart…everyone has new family members, but I still treasure all the wonderful memories and having fun creating new ones with my own family!

My favorite holiday memory is my daughter’s first Christmas. After 15 years of marriage, it was such fun to experience this wonderful holiday through the eyes of my own child. There can be no greater gift than the gift of a new life.

my fave holiday memory is when ellie was one (last year) and she got so excited about the caroles and the lights. it was so fun to watch her face and to see everyone’s reactions to her sweet excitement.

My favorite holiday memory is from 2001, the last Christmas my mom was with us. My mom, my sister, and I all got together to make Christmas cookies. It was the first time we had done that and my sister and I both have a big sweet tooth. Well, we went a little overboard. We were baking cookies for about 12 hours (we had way to much dough!) And then we had to decorate them all! It was exhausting, but fun. I have some pictures of the three of us around the table with our hundreds of decorated cookies. You couldn’t even see the table underneath! Then we sat around and watched a Lifetime movie. I think it was called The Christmas Shoes. It was a real tearjerker. I wish my mom was still around so I could continue to make cookies with her every year. That is my favorite holiday memory…

Every Christmas is special. One great thing is how, even though I am in my 30s and have a family of my own, Santa still visits my mom’s house on Christmas Eve. No presents will be out until everyone has gone to bed. It is a special time for all of us.

Hands down, my favorite Christmas memories stem from watching the holiday through the eyes of our three children. With all being in their 20’s, you may think that magical moment has passed us by. However,with our new grandson (age 1 month) we are prepared to see that indescribable look in his eyes in a couple years. We are truly blessed. Speaking of blessings, thank you for your simple, elegant designs. Your blog and the DT blogs are a daily must for me and I wish you and your families the merriest of holiday seasons.

favorite holiday memory….as an adult it has to be the morning of my oldest son’s second christmas (he was 18 months at the time) and when we got up that christmas morning he didn’t want to get up…but all the cousins were waiting so I kissed him and said “I think Santa was here” and he sat straight up and pointed at the hallway and said “ho Ho HO??” (his word for santa) and went running out of the room. It was so cute and so endering. I think of that mornign every christmas even though he is now eight.

My favorite holiday memory was Christmas 2002. My husband’s ship had arrived a few days before Christmas and my oldest daughter (then 5) was relieved that daddy was not going to miss another Christmas with us due to the Navy. He had missed 2001. The look on her face and her sister (then 2) when he walked in and greeted them was golden! Holidays together as a military family are rare.

My favorite memories are spending time with family. I love the Christmas Eve get togethers and waking up early the next morning. So much fun! I can’t wait to see the whole release. You’ve done a wonderful job. Thanks! Pattie

My favorite holiday memory was going over to my Aunt’s house on Christmas Eve and all of the kids would open up one gift and then drink Wassil and eat homemade treats. Being an only child it was nice to be around all the extended family during Christmas.

When I was 5 all I wanted for christmas was a canopy bed. On Christmas morning I awoke in a band new white canopy bed. I had visions of santa magically building it and putting me in it. I will never forget that christmas!!

One of my favorite memories so far has to be my first Christmas with DH. He is not Catholic and his family was never into any holidays at all, so the first year with my loud family was enough to leave him in shock and joining in the fun of baking cookies, Christmas Carols, wrapping gifts, etc.. and seeing him open his “first” Christmas gifts was so much fun! (of course, it backfired ’cause now he’s like a drill sergeant, he’s in the middle of everything, including making us get to midnight mass early so we can get “good seats”! LOL..I loved that he was so open to sharing something which has always been so special to me!

One of my favorite memories was when everyone received handmade gifts. Looking back I’m sure money was tight which is why there were no “store bought” gifts but that particular Christmas is one that I can remember every gift I received.

My favorite holiday memory was having homemade cookies and decorating them. I also loved visiting family and all the excitement that the holidays would bring. I couldn’t wait to get home from midnight mass to open presents.

Every Christmas that I get to share with both my parents and my children is my “favorite” holiday memory. It’s a precious gift to be able to share in watching the sheer delight on my children’s faces with my Mom & Dad each year. I know that someday we won’t all be able to celebrate together so I try to make the most of each Christmas we have together.

Each year my children and grandchildren come for a day before Christmas and we bake cookies, the flour and icing is everywhere. This has become a early birthday present for me, with my birthday on Christmas day. The effort the little ones put into this makes the cookies taste better.

My favorite holiday memory is actually more of a tradition. Every Christmas Eve the entire family attends the Sunday School Program at Church & then we drive around and look at the lights. It just really helps get everyone in the holiday spirit.

I always loved Christmas mornings. I have 5 siblings, and present opening was always a boisterous affair. My late grandparents were always there to share the excitement with us. After present opening, we would all have a wonderful sit-down brunch. I treasure these family memories, and hope that I am making wonderful memories like this for my children.

The laughter, the joy, the smiles, the hugs, the excitement on my little children’s faces when they were oh so small at Christmas time. And, now, that same excitement we get to experience again with our granchildren as we gather around the Christmas tree to share family time, food, and traditions. These are my treasured memories.

I have so many favorites, but one that I really enjoy doing and remembering is taking my son out at night a few days before Christmas to drive through two towns’ worth of Christmas lights and decorations. It is something special that we both enjoy so much! I know you asked for one, but another favorite is getting up on Christmas morning and seeing our kids faces light up when they see that the milk glass is empty, there are only crumbs where the cookies once were, and the carrots have been nibbled on in the most peculiar way. They get so excited by the idea that Santa has been to our home that they forget to look at all the presents wrapped brightly under the tree!!

One of my favorite memories is the year my sister and I got “walking” dolls from Santa. I got out of bed and looked under the tree and the dolls were standing there so I took them back to the bedroom and we played with them for a while and then I put them back under the tree!

My favorite Christmas memory started the day after Thanksgiving… it was my birthday. I asked my husband to WALK with me to the Christmas tree farm (1 1/2 miles) to cut our tree and then CARRY it back singing Christmas carols. We did it!! Ok, we were in Montgomery, so there wasn’t any snow, but we just pretended and then enjoyed hot chocolate when we made it home. I’m so blessed to have a husband that would do that to make my dreams come true!

My favorite memory of Christmas is something we do every year. My husband and I bake up a bunch of holiday cookies and goodies and take them to our local neighborhood fire department. We usually deliver them on Christmas day. Most of those that are working the holiday, have their families there eating and visiting. It makes us feel really good to do that for them!

I loved candle light Christmas Eve service … and still do to this day! When I was little, I would be so excited on Christmas Eve that I could not sleep. So I would call out for my dad and ask him to “take me to the bathroom” but what I really wanted to do was get a sneak peak at the Christmas Tree and presents! He fell for it year after year after year! I enjoyed reading all the posts! Thanks!

My memory would be spending Christmas Eve with all my extended family (aunts, uncle’s and cousins). We would have dinner and then open gifts. The gifts would be opened from the youngest to oldest and it would always seem like forever before it was your turn to unwrap your gifts. It was fun to open the gifts this way, becuase you got to see that person’s joy and excitement while they unwrapped their gifts.

One of my favorite holiday memories is when Santa visited our house when I was a little girl. I thought he looked a little like the man next door, but I wasn’t sure. My younger sister and our neighbor’s daughter were completely taken in. (The man next door was the father of the daughter.)That was the first time I began to be a little suspicious about Santa. I was about 6. However, it was all terribly exciting!

So many Christmases spent at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, and they were all special. I knew how special those times were, even when I was young. We had a “program” every year. Every person had to do something. Sometimes a child would recite a poem, or sing a song, read a story, or tell a special memory from Christmas past. Then we would read from the Bible, one gospel or all, but Grandpa’s favorite was the Book of Luke. Maybe we’d sing some carols, but we kids were usually pretty keyed up by then. The young ones would hand out ALL the presents, and no one could start opening until they were all passed out. Mom and Dad supervised to make sure that we said “thank you” to the appropriate gift-giver. After presents came cold cuts and sausage, crackers, lefse and dozens of Grandma & Grandpa’s candies and cookies. It was always a wonderful celebration.

But Grandpa died a year ago last April. He had cancer, and we’d known he was dying. It might seem strange, but my best holiday memory is the one of our last Christmas. It was sad. It was melancholy, but we got to have that final time together, to know that we were making memories, and we needed to hold them. I think everyone was MORE aware, more present because we knew that this was the final reading, the final song, and it was more precious because it was the last.

My favorite holiday memories as a child was going to midnight mass and then coming home and having late night munchies (from Christmas Eve dinner). We usually had 1-2 other families come over afterwards to mid-night munchies and some caroling around the piano. We’d finally get to bed at around 2am and wake up in the morning to open our presents in our jammies. I love the spirit of Christmas and all the traditions that I now share with my own family.

One of my favorite holiday memories is kind of a joke in my family. When I was growing up I was obsessed with shoes. When I was in 5th grade I wanted a pair of Doc Martens sooo badly. Come Christmas morning when I opened up my presents, I got not 1 but 2 pairs of Doc Marten shoes! I started bawling, lol. every Christmas since then someone in my family makes a joke about me and shoes and crying. Every year.

My favorite memory is from when I was very young. I was the oldest of 3 girls and we all shared a bedroom. On Christmas morning we would send our youngest sister into wake my parents so we could see our gifts.

My favorite memory was a few years ago when we were snowed in, my husband’s work was cancelled, and our son was almost a year old. Everything was covered in snow and it was beautiful! We bundled up and took him for a walk with his sled. It was so much fun and I’ll never forget his joy!

My mom used to do such a beautiful job of decorating our house when I was growing up. She and my dad always painted a Christmas scene on our kitchen window. And Brenda Lee was playing on the stereo throughout the holiday season. It’s still my favoraite holiday music, it brings back such fond memories.

My favorite memory is my sister and I practicing and practicing for the Christmas songs we would play for my family on Christams Eve at Grandma’s house. I would play the organ and my sister would sing. Our own little holiday concert.

As a child I used to love–getting up early–sneaking into the family room–and then just peering out the window–waiting & waiting for my Grandparents to drive up to the house!!! The “fun” always began after that—ohhh—and my Grandma always made the best Crumb Cake for Christmas breakfast!!! 🙂 KJ

My favorite holiday memory is gathering together on Christmas Day with my Mom’s family — everyone sitting around a big table at Grandma & Granpa’s house, eating homemade chicken noodle soup and honey-baked ham on Grandma’s fancy china. I inherited that china and every time I use it I am filled with these lovely memories!

My favorite memory is baking cookies with my grandmother and all my female cousins. It was always so fun to be with her in the kitchen. Now, my sister and I carry the tradition with our boys; it’s a time I look forward to.
Thanks for the opportunity to win such a fabulous prize.

My favorite memory is getting the whole family together to celebrate my grandmother’s birthday each year a week before Christmas. We would use that time to decorate her tree. Each ornament had a story and we’d retrace those stories each year. I miss her very much and would give anything to relive that memory one more time with her!!

My Favorite Holiday Memory is Oranges in my Stocking. Loved that and still do. Santa use to always do it for me and when I told my mom about it recently she made sure “Santa” knew and at 32 I still get a holiday Orange in my stocking.

My favorite memory of Christmas was celebrating our family tradition of holding hands and dancing around our Christmas tree as we sang Norwegian Christmas songs.
We as children were excited as we got to taste our first special cookie of the holidays after we had our tree party.

My favorite memory is fairly recent. There’s this miniature train ride at a city park every Christmas season and one year, my family- my parents, myself and my siblings rode on this tiny train through a forest of lights. It was really fun, and very refreshing to be outside in the crisp winter cold together. A lot of laughs were had. I think we all felt like kids again that night 🙂

My favorite holiday memory is actually a very recent one. There is a Polish Catholic Church in St. Louis where my parent’s had gotten married. There was a lot of problems between the Church and the Archbishop and the Priest was pulled. A new Priest came to the Parish and his first Mass was on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2006. My son had just returned from his first tour in Iraq and he went to midnight Mass with us in his dress blues. I was so proud of him that night and so thankful that his Priest chose this day to celebrate his first Mass at St. Stanislaus!

One of my favorite holiday memories was our Christmas morning treasure hunt. My sister and I were allowed to “open” our stockings before our parents woke on Christmas morning. My father created a treasure hunt with the first clue tucked in our stockings. It was so much fun trying to figure out the clues and it gave my parents a few extra minutes of sleep.

Hard to pick just one. From childhood I remember great joy at big family gatherings (lots of cousins and aunts & uncles) when I got to wear the Santa hat and run around the room giving everyone their presents from under the tree.

Holidays always bring forth such wonderful memories. I always remember getting so excited when my grandparents would arrive at our home. My favorite memory though would probably be picking out our Christmas tree. We always went to a tree farm and cut down our tree. There was always hay rides, hot cocoa and Christmas festivities. It still makes me smile!

My favorite holiday memory is waking up super early on Christmas day asking my parents if we could go downstairs to open presents…only to be told that Santa didn’t want us to open our presents until 6am! Then, the rush of going downstairs with my 4 siblings with the magic of the lights and the presents – was so much fun. Heather

My favorite memory is having my grandparents with us most years. I just loved waking up to their smiling faces. My grandmother is gone now but I still have a close relationship with him and went to see his this summer.

Now…I really enjoy going to church with our boys, playing a game before bed, and then waking up to the excitement of Christmas morning!

One of my favorite Christmas memories was when got a blanket. It was from my Grandma Nana. It was hand-knitted. My grandma loved to knit.It was pink. I was about 14. She passed away in 2005 and I miss her terribly. I am 43 now and still have the blanket. I will always cherish it because she made by hand specially for me. I use it for the cold Ohio winters.

My favorite Christmas memory is of the time that my boyfriend (now hubby) went up north to visit my family. We rented a car our first day there so we could do some sight seeing and have a way to get away if my family was driving my boyfriend crazy. Well, that night we got snowed in and we only ended up using the rental car twice… the first day we got it and then the day we took our chances on the snowy streets to return it! It was very frustrating for us at the time since it was quite an expense for us poor college kids, but now that I look on it – it really helped to make the time with my family be more special and now it’s a favorite memory.
~Crystal M.

There are so many because Christmas is such a special time to me. I think one of my favorites is being a secret Santa to a neighbor and giving gifts for the 12 days of Christmas. She lived alone and had so much fun getting the gifts.

I love remembering my first Christmas with my husband. I had to work over the holidays so we were away from family and really enjoyed celebrating with just the two of us. We shared each other’s traditions and spent way too much money on presents. It was great.

The Memory burnt into my mind, was waking up as a child of 9 or 10 in the family caravan on Christmas morning on top of a Mountain Range in NSW Australia. Beside my bunk was a beautiful doll fully dressed in a crib with all her bedding(all handmade by my Mum so I found out years later).
I felt so lucky to receive this wonderful gift in the middle of nowhere, how did Santa find my there??

I can remember waiting so impatiently at the top of the steps for Dad to get the old 8 mm camera ready to roll. Those were the longest minutes of my childhood, but the excitement is as fresh as the first time 38 years ago!

Your Home for the Holidays set reminds me of the big old house where I grew up in Ohio. At Christmas we almost always had snow and the snow hung from the roof just like the snow in your stamp set. The house was a big three story house and had a coal funace that my father had to stoke just like the father in “The Christmas Story”. We snuggled up, my sister and I, and waited for Santa to land on our roof. We always fell asleep—which is a good thing, since Santa would have burned up if he had really come down that chimney!

I love the holidays, and what they stand for. So to pick out my favorite memory is very hard for me, since I have so many of them. Although, I will tell you my favorite thing to do is wake up very early on Christmas morning (from when I was a little girl until even now to do it with my boys). I can’t wait to see what goodies Santa gave everyone! The rest of the wonderful day is shared with all of our family and friends making many more memories!

my fav holiday memory is christmas eve. that’s when my dad’s side would get together every year. each year it would be held at one of the relatives’ house. all my cousins and i would wait for “santa” to come in and pass out our christmas gifts.

My favorite holiday memory is the many holidays that we spent at my grandparents’ farm in Kansas, with all of the cousins and aunts and uncles. The kids all slept in one bedroom, with barely an inch of floor space to spare. The adults played cards into the wee hours of the morning. Christmas morning was so cozy and happy. Great times!

My brother and I always woke up early, so excited, and ran into the living room with flash lights to see what we had received. I especially remember the year that I received a little electric organ and he received a bicycle.

My favorite holiday memory is getting a leather jacket for Christmas during high school. My family was poor and I never thought my parents could afford to get me one but they did. I was so happy and so excited that my parents understood how important it was to me.

My family has so many special family memories, but there is one that I remember the most vividly because I have carried it on with my children as well. On Christmas Eve after we went to church, we came home and had grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup and a Christmas Cut out cookie. Then we opened our Christmas Eve present which was always PJ’s to wear that night. Then we read “Twas The Night Before Christmas” and each child got to pick one of our many Christmas books to be read in bed. It was so special and I hope my children continue that or something just as special with their children.

One of my favorite holiday memories was when I gave my niece a Chia pet for Christmas when she was 3(15 yrs ago, yet I still remember it like it was just last Christmas). She would see the commercials for them on tv and would sing along “Ch…Ch.. Ch…Chia..!”. When she opened her chia pet, she was so excited. She exclaimed, “I KNEW I was going to get a Chia Pet!”. It was so funny – she had the whole family laughing along with her.

We celebrated each year with my other grandma, too and on the way back to my grandparents house (across town) we’d drive around and look at all the beautiful light displays! My little family (hubba and 5 kids) do this now every Christmas Day when it gets dark! It’s one of the highlights of our holiday season!

My favorite holiday memory– or rather, tradition– is getting together with the whole family on Christmas Eve. It’s a time to see relatives that I don’t get to see very often throughout the rest of the year. We share laughs, presents, lots of good food, and we sing Christmas carols. We’ve had this tradition since I was a child. Just thinking about it makes me so excited for Christmas. It’s truly the most wonderful time of the year! 🙂

I have many memories, but all of them are based on our going to my grandma’s house for Christmas in Montana. It was always such a nice visit and I got to spend time with family I didn’t see very often. My grandmother passed away 10 years ago so we don’t go down there for Christmas anymore, but I will always have my memories!

My favourite holiday tradition is reading the Christmas Story together as a family. This is something my Dad started when we were all very young, and has now continued through to adulthood and the next generation. This is just a wonderful family time and reminds us of the very reason for the season!

My favorite holiday memory was the first Christmas we had in the USA and waiting anxiously in the whee hour of Christmas morning to open up those mysterious presents under the tree. My favorite present that I received that year was paint by number!

One of my favorite holiday memories is when my daughter was 7. We were attending a holiday party with several other families with young children and my daughter knew that Santa was going to be there. She informed us before the party that she didn’t believe in Santa anymore and she knew one of the dad’s would be playing the part, but she would be quiet and not tell her 3 year old little brother. The party went on and Santa arrived and left. On the way home our daughter said she had changed her mind and she now knew there really was a Santa because she had checked all of the dad’s shoes before his arrival and none of them matched his! What a great idea for our friend to have someone from the outside play the part.

One of my favorite memories was the first time we ever celebrated Christmas. I was around 8 years old. My sisters and I spent Christmas week with my sister’s Sunday School teacher. We woke up to presents under the trees and stockings full of goodies.

I must have been about 4 when my dad took me to his club and Santa was there. I got a stuffed toy dog. It was really a great memory, as my dad wasn’t always around for some reason. It was just me and him. I’ll never forget that.

My favorite hoilday memory is last year and my mom and dad wasn’t home for the last few holidays and the come home for Christmas last year and surprised the girls They were so excited to see them. The looks on their faces I will never forget

I remember as a child waking up very early one christmas morning and sneaking off to the Christmas tree to see if Santa had visited. There were presents galore and a couple of them were very odd in shape. Of course curiousity got the better of me and I just had to have a feel of these strange gifts. They were very hard, heavy and bumpy. Imagine my surprise when I finally got to open up one of these presents and discovered a huge rock salt crystal that my uncle had found on one of his adventures. The rocksalt crystal has long gone but the memory is still there 34 years later.

My favorite holiday memory was the year it snowed (first time in 100 yrs) on Christmas Eve on the Gulf Coast of Texas and we hadn’t been able to unpack our Christmas decorations that were in the back of a storage trailer while we were adding on a second story to the house! It felt like God had made the outside beautiful and sparkly just for us! Sooooo wonderful!!!! Such a beautiful thing to wake up to!!
-Katherine

Wow, am I bummed. Forgetting to take into consideration that your party was in EST time zone and I came on to comment at 10:40, only I’m in Central time, I missed it all. I love the sets and have enjoyed the “peeks” you’ve been sharing and can’t wait to order my own real soon. Love your blog and all your clever ideas.

My favorite hoiday memory was when I was a child with my family. My brothers and I would make adeal with each other that no one could go to the tree without waking the others. Whoever was up first would get the other two!! Then we’d wake mom and dad. We would all sit around the tree and then my dad would read the Christmas story out of the Bible!! It was such a warm, happy time!! My mom would always bake lots of goodies and us kids would decorate the sugar cookies!!It was just us together but it was so special!!

It would have been the last christmas we had with grandpa, we knew he didnt have long so that year was pretty special and he didnt make it until the next christmas, he past away 1 year ago this past July. I would love to win this package and you have soem great images coming out tonite

Holiday Memories always bring tears to my eyes. Christmas time brings family together to share in the comfort of each other. My gift each year is to celebrate a safe and happy Christmas with my Children and Grand Children. We all have Christmas Breakfast together in or new Christmas Jammies….That is our tridition. Everyone shows up in thier jammies…We laugh, eat, eat and laugh and since our youngest is now 11 we don’t have to hurry to open gifts….

O.K. you have really done it…..I love the holiday paper…..It is a got to have.

My favourite holiday memory is when I came over to the UK just before 25th December to spend the Christmas holidays with my boyfriend, now husband. One of the best moments was, of course, meeting him at the airport after almost four months apart. Even now this memory sends shivers down my spine…

My favorite Christmas memory is when my children were old enough to understand Christmas, yet still young enough to believe in the magic. That morning my daughter’s first words were NOT, “Give me my presents!” Instead, they were, “Oh, Jacob, look what you got!” She was more excited for him than for herself. Not bad for a four-year-old.

My favorite holiday memories are getting together with all of my cousins at my grandparents’ home. It was the only time we all met up together and it was such fun. We played games outside while the adults all slept off their Christmas dinner. One year my cousin Christine and I decided we were growing up (at about 12 and 15) and too old to play games with the ‘little kids’ so we spent the afternoon practising ‘getting in and out of a car elegantly’ for that special time when a boy opened the car door for us! It is so funny to think back on that day, and how serious we were!

Ahhh…when I had doubts about Santa being real and hid them: (1) because I wasn’t sure and didn’t want to let the magic go, and (2) so my sister wouldn’t catch on and could continue to dream and imagine.

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